「Exactly. That’s why he was both terrified and thrilled when the red-eyed dragon, which destroyed everything, appeared on the continent.」
“But there’s no way that dragon would have willingly handed over its power.”
Even if the red-eyed dragon wasn’t the merciless, destructive creature it was said to be, what dragon would continuously give its power to a human?
Not unless it was taken away by force…
Pause.
Abel couldn’t believe the suspicion that suddenly formed in his mind, yet he still asked in a small voice.
“He didn’t try to take it by force, did he? Even if he had learned how to obtain power through training, he wouldn’t be able to defeat a dragon. Not unless it was a dragon that would remain docile even after its power was taken away.”
But there was no way such a dragon existed.
The blue-eyed dragon before him must have understood Abel’s implication, yet she didn’t respond. She simply stared at Abel with emotionless eyes. Naturally, Abel should have felt nothing, but strangely, he felt as if his breath was caught in his throat. In that moment, he felt as if he had found the answer. It was only when he heard another question in his mind that he realized what state he was in.
「Why are you crying?」
I don’t know, Abel muttered to himself.
The dragon then turned her gaze to Karas and continued her words. The dragon mentioned that she hadn’t realized how desperately the wizard wanted to become stronger. Then, a problem arose. One day, the red-eyed dragon, which had been causing havoc across the continent, appeared on this mountain.
That dragon, as if daring the wizard to challenge it, cast a powerful spell over the plain. It was a spell so strong that no other dragon could enter, and even if one did, it would be unable to use its power. That is, except for the one being trapped inside. However, while that being had power, it could not move.
「The red-eyed one only wanted to provoke me into a fight. That’s why he didn’t destroy what was precious to me. But by the time I went to face him, it was already over. To think that the one who seemed indifferent to the world’s destruction would move… and for the sake of a knight, no less.」
The dragon, speaking as if reminiscing about the past, revealed the conclusion of the story.
「When I returned here, I told the only human I knew to enter the plains and bring me what I wanted.」
That was the end of it. And the wizard never returned. The ice that covered the mountain was likely a massive trap set by the dragon to catch the wizard once he came out. The dragon had probably spent a hundred of years suppressing its consciousness to ensure it would know the moment the wizard set foot within the frozen territory.
However, someone had appeared to undo that trap and help the wizard. Though the dragon hadn’t explained what was so important in the plains, Abel thought he knew. Without realizing it, he asked.
“Do you want us to lure the wizard into the Ice Mountain?”
「No. The opposite.」
The opposite?
Karas answered.
“You plan to bring the Ice Mountain to him.”
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
To bring the Ice Mountain.
Abel recalled Karas’ words as he watched the fog slowly dissipate from the mountain, now bathed in the light of dawn.
Could he really do that?
At the very least, it seemed he had succeeded in removing the ice that had once covered the mountain.
“Ah! Th-the mountain… the ice on the mountain has disappeared!”
Someone’s loud shout echoed through the morning air. Soon, exclamations of joy and astonishment spread from all directions. The one thing everyone consistently expressed was gratitude towards the wizard.
As expected of the wizard!
He has defeated the power of the ice dragon that has tormented people for hundreds of years!
As they rubbed their eyes several times in disbelief and embraced one another in joy, the wizard stood with his mouth half-open, staring at the mountain with a dazed expression. It seemed that he was the one who found it hardest to believe. His heartbeat grew louder, almost as if it could be heard by those standing next to him. Then, his eyes gradually began to reflect the same joy just like the others.
“It’s over. Everything… it’s really all over… Haha.”
The wizard, who had been mumbling softly, finally bent down, unable to hold back his laughter.
“Puhaha— Hahaha! It’s over! Everything is over! Hahaha— That wretched ice mountain is gone! Hahaha! In the end, I won!”
The wizard’s outburst of laughter, mixed with his shouts, echoed through the air. He was laughing so hard that he couldn’t even lift his head, his body shaking as he laughed. The people, who had been celebrating, now watched him with curiosity and surprise, as if they were seeing this side of the wizard for the first time.
Well, it made sense that the person who should be the happiest was the wizard himself. After all, he had carried the burden of protecting the plains for so long. However, the smiles faded from the faces of the proud people when the wizard finally raised his head to wipe away the tears he had shed from laughing so hard.
“Hehehe— That foolish dragon. What? You said you’d catch me if I ever set foot outside? Puhaha— Try waiting another few hundred years! Let’s see if you can catch me then! Hehehe —”
The wizard, who had been laughing like a madman, seemed to finally notice the people, who were now frozen in shock. However, nothing could stop the wizard’s laughter. He continued to chuckle, his shoulders shaking, as he asked the people.
“What? Are my eyes strange to you?”
The wizard’s eyes had transformed into gray snake-like eyes.
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
After years of training, he finally became capable of absorbing power. The joy he felt when he managed to extract even a small amount of energy from the body of the blue-eyed dragon, who had served as his test subject, was indescribable. However, the wizard’s excitement didn’t last long.
‘You want to gather power from nature like a dragon? If you continue to train for a long time, it might be possible.’
How long would he have to train?
He asked desperately, only for the blue-eyed dragon to coldly reveal the harsh truth in its usual emotionless tone.
‘If you live for thousands of years.’
It was a crushing despair. All he had achieved so far was a mere feeling of lightness in his body. Compared to the power he desired, it was less than a speck of dust.
And yet, to obtain that power, it would take me thousands of years?
Why didn’t you tell me that from the beginning?
Had you been mocking me all this time?
But deep down, he knew the truth. The dragon had told him from the start that the results wouldn’t be that great.
Still, he couldn’t help but feel angry. And he was filled with envy toward the dragon who could wield such immense power so freely, something he himself could never do. No, he was consumed with jealousy, to the point of wanting to die, for the beings born with such overwhelming power. His jealousy turned into rage, and as the wizard stayed by the dragon’s side, he carefully, secretly nurtured those emotions.
One day, I’ll bring that creature down.
I’ll make it bow its head at my feet and praise me as the great wizard.
However, his reality was pathetic compared to his dreams. He was a weak human, destined to die in a few decades. To a dragon that lived for hundreds of years, his existence would soon be forgotten. But then, an opportunity presented itself.
‘Keep your promise to sacrifice your life. Bring me that thing from the plains.’
The wizard suppressed the laughter bubbling up inside him, keeping his head lowered. However, he had a remarkable self-control. He didn’t let his amusement show up until the dragon gave him the exact location, and he was safely within the plains. Only when he set foot on the ground that the red-eyed dragon had cast a spell did the wizard allow himself to burst into laughter.
And when he finally found what the blue-eyed dragon had spoken of, he collapsed onto the ground, laughing so hard that he rolled on the dirt, unable to control himself. Because it was real. No dragon could use their power within the plains, yet this entity, trapped inside the plains, still held power. Even as the wizard drained it of its power, it couldn’t resist. The wizard had said the same words then, as he absorbed that power for the first time, as he did now.
I won!
⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖ ⊹˚. ♡.𖥔 ݁ ˖
The people stared at the wizard in disbelief.
Why did the wizard’s eyes have the same snake-like appearance as the emperor?
Almost like a dragon’s.
Whispering and muttering among themselves, the people hesitated, an unknown fear creeping through them as they took cautious steps backward.
“Wizard… why… why are your eyes… why do they look like that…”
When someone finally mustered the courage to ask in a small voice, the wizard twisted his lips into a sneer.
“These have always been my eyes.”
Always been his eyes?
What does that mean?
The murmurs of confusion grew within the crowd, but they quickly quieted at the wizard’s next words.
“Your prince has done his part really well. Far beyond my expectations. But I bet he deeply regretted it in the end. After all, he climbed up that Ice Mountain just to die for someone like you. Heheheh―”
The wizard looked down at him and scoffed, but Abel didn’t respond with anger; instead, he looked at him with pity. Oblivious to this, the wizard lifted his chin proudly and turned his gaze toward the mountain.
“The power I gave him was a pity to lose, but it served its purpose. Thanks to it, your prince ended up disguised with my energy. Those ice traps that had been lying in wait for my return on the mountain for so long must have swarmed at the prince the moment they sensed his presence. Hahaha— It’s hilarious. Your foolish prince, and that dragon who can’t even tell one person from another, leaving nothing but traps made of ice. Hehehe—”
The wizard’s words left the people confused.
Ice traps?
He spoke of a prince—was he referring to the emperor?
Did the emperor enter the Ice Mountain disguised with the wizard’s energy, only to get killed?
What in the world does this mean?
“Ah, so what you’re really saying is that you weren’t the wizard protecting the plains, but a coward who hid to avoid the Ice Mountain.”
A deep, hoarse voice shouted from somewhere in the crowd. Immediately after, another voice followed.
“And a huge liar, at that.”
Recognizing Roster’s familiar voice, Abel turned his head with relief. Approaching from the outskirts, but from a different direction than where Karas had disappeared, were the four commanders. Although their bodies were covered with small wounds as if from a great battle, they all appeared healthy. And behind them, hesitantly trailing along, were the group of bandits, tense and uneasy.
“Lord Abel, come this way.”
Among the group that had faced the crowd, Ashler quickly approached Abel, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. It was an attempt to put some distance between him and the wizard, but the wizard only sneered, finding their actions amusing.
“Although the Emperor is dead, you’re still trying to protect the Regas? Hmph, but a mere distance like that won’t be enough. Not unless you hide him somewhere on the other end of the continent where I can’t find him.”
As he spoke, the wizard casually raised his hand. Suddenly, the body of the child attendant’s father, who had survived the previous night, burst into flames.
“Ah! No, stop!”
Abel cried out in shock, trying to rush forward, but Ashler quickly grabbed his arm again. Abel watched as the man’s body get consumed by fire, and unusually yelled at the wizard.
“What are you doing?! You promised! You said you’d spare him!”
“Did I make such a promise?”
The wizard sneered, glancing at the people around him.
“What are you all doing? Isn’t this your favorite pastime? I’ve indulged in your whims long enough; shouldn’t you be happy with me now, when I’m in such a good mood?”
The wizard moved his hand again, and several more people in the crowd were suddenly engulfed in flames. Laughing hysterically, the wizard watched as they burned. The crowd erupted in screams; some ran away in terror while the others collapsed to the ground, trembling. Abel’s eyes filled with despair as he looked at the fleeing people, then turned to the wizard and spoke.
“Leave.”
The wizard, who had been laughing, lifted his gaze, and Abel pointed to the melted Ice Mountain with his hand.
“You’ve gained your freedom just as you wished, so leave this land now.”
In response, the wizard’s laughter faded, leaving only a lingering smile as he fully raised his head.
“It’s not that simple. You see, there’s immense power buried in this land. I haven’t extracted it yet. Freedom? Heh, sure, I plan to enjoy it—once I’ve ensured things are a bit more secure.”
With the laughter completely gone from his face, the wizard’s expression turned cold as he took a step closer to Abel.
“Thanks to your Emperor, the mountain seems to have melted, at least on the surface, but there’s probably still some ice left somewhere. I’m not that foolish to just rush out without confirming it first. Do you really think I’d carelessly throw away an opportunity I’ve waited for hundreds of years?!”
Abel couldn’t hide his growing anxiety, biting his lower lip in frustration. Noticing this, the wizard narrowed his eyes and asked.
“You look like you’re desperate for me to leave right now. What’s going on? Do you know something?”
However, Abel ignored his words and instead turned to face Ashler.
“We don’t have much time. Get the bandits to convince the people to leave the plains, quickly.”
Ashler nodded and signaled to the trembling bandits. At his signal, they stepped forward, calling out the names of the people they knew well.
“Brother, hurry and escape the plains!”