"......That doesn't matter. I and the Lears can never be like you and Byakuya."
Ferdikion's expression clouded over as he finished speaking.
His father had been practicing a politics of terror and teaching his son that it was right.
Though Ferdikion didn't say it, he must have treated those under his control harshly.
It was only natural that he had no one around him to whom he could be honest.
If there had been anyone, it was likely that things didn't end well.
'Whether good or evil, it's too early to divide things into such binaries.'
Part of the reason was that he was not yet an adult and I didn't know everything about Ferdikion.
However, more than anything, it was because of what I had realized while dealing with the sacrifices that flowed into the island in my previous life.
Absolutely good or absolutely evil lives are rarer than one might think.
Rather, there are far more people who are good to some and evil to others.
Someone could be a wealthy landlord who loves his daughter and family, while at the same time imposing heavy taxes on tenant farmers to accumulate wealth.
'Even a divine beast is similar. I, for instance, am a being that controls natural disasters for humans, but to other divine beasts or certain humans, I was a dark and ominous Imugi.'
Some beings are even said to have stolen fire from the gods to give to humans who lacked it.
Though they were punished for committing an act that was not permitted, they were the most grateful beings to humans.
Ferdikion, standing before me, must have possessed this duality as well.
'It's only natural. Among beings with limited lives, there is no one who can satisfy everyone. But there are priorities.'
For Ferdikion to rule the Lair with his own power and will, he needed to break away from his father's methods.
'No matter how deep the sins he has committed so far, he must now start to atone and repay them.'
Reformation is always difficult.
But I could help him atone and repay without committing more sins.
"At least talk to me more easily, bro."
After a moment, Ferdikion reluctantly nodded.
"It's ridiculous. I'll try to do it that way."
Chapter 20: Is this your first time?
The atmosphere was quite good.
While Ferdikion didn't notice, Imugi's eyes sparkled for a moment.
"By the way, you must have learned from someone that you need to control the Lear people, right?"
Imugi wore a cute face and smiled calmly.
Ferdikion slightly frowned but spoke without hesitation.
"You might not know. The elder of the Fire Clan, Red Dragon Fasyas, my father. He is as strong as a mountain. He has a very upright character. He is capable and has a relentless drive, so there's a lot to learn from him."
Imugi recalled a simple review.
'This is the kind of thing you'd say if you embellished the knowledge Christina passed down a bit.'
Considering that Christina also saw things through her own lens, her review was more practical than Ferdikion's.
Imugi thought about Fasyas' personality through a small window.
'His character, inevitably changed through war, is stubborn, and he has a habit of ranking those around him. He acts self-centeredly, and there is a pedantic side to him. He discards anyone who doesn't meet his standards. He wants those around him to follow his ideals rather than considering their circumstances.
Even if his ideals are good and right, he cannot be seen as purely good because he does not hesitate to use any means to achieve them.'
Imugi clicked his tongue inwardly but maintained his usual smile.
"He must be a great person."
"Yeah. I acknowledge what he has accomplished."
"Then, do you like your father?"
Ferdikion's face stiffened, and he couldn't bring himself to speak.
It was a good sign that he wasn't used to lying to himself.
"Don't ask such pointless questions."
Ferdikion's expression turned cold as he cut off the conversation.
"I'll continue the lesson, so stop the idle talk."
'It's hard to pretend not to notice.'
However, if he didn't want to talk about it, I couldn't force him.
Moreover, his reaction was a sufficient answer to my question.
Despite his initial prickly impression, Ferdikion diligently visited every day to teach Imugi.
The somewhat boring theories and old-fashioned explanations didn't really help Imugi much.
'Good. This is quite a bit of progress.'
But Imugi nodded in satisfaction.
After all, this wasn't a lesson for Imugi.
Over time, like a light rain soaking through clothes, Ferdikion had started to feel more at ease with Imugi.
The young black hatchling used his harmless smile as a weapon to gradually make Ferdikion question his rigid and pedantic beliefs.
For every one thing Imugi said, Ferdikion pondered two, so in a way, Ferdikion was the one receiving the lesson, though he didn't realize it.
One day, Ferdikion introduced a different lesson.
"Today, we'll try something called 'mana thread spinning.'"
When he said "thread spinning," it usually referred to a game women played with threads in his world.
Imugi tilted his head at the unusual topic.
"I'll show you first, so watch carefully."
Ferdikion spread his hands, palms facing each other.
Mana threads emerged from his index fingers and stretched to his opposite pinkies.
Then, from the opposite pinkies to the other index fingers.
The completed shape was a simple hourglass.
"Maintain a consistent thickness while creating the thread. It might seem easy, but it's actually quite difficult. Don't underestimate it, or you'll regret it."
'Finally, a practical lesson.'
Imugi grasped the essence of the mana thread spinning from the moment Ferdikion demonstrated it.
He quickly created a thread of mana in the same shape as Ferdikion.
Byakuya, eager to try it too, hopped over and stared intently at the end of the thread Imugi had created.
Byakuya's yellow beak pointed at something in the air, and a thread of mana appeared in the air.
Ferdikion asked, surprised.
"Are you really doing this for the first time?"
'Although I did something similar in my past life.'
Ferdikion looked at Imugi, who was spinning the mana thread, and Byakuya, who was clumsily imitating it, with a bewildered expression.
Imugi wondered if Christina had taught him, but it was surprising that even Byakuya understood and followed along.
Imugi enjoyed the mana thread spinning Ferdikion had assigned as a task today.
'Someone must have made this for children's education. To create a basic to intermediate mana array in the shape of a thread.'
It was an excellent educational game that naturally helped develop the foundational design skills needed to construct magic arrays without feeling like a wall.
After receiving impractical and old-fashioned theoretical education for a while, it was very interesting to hear a practical, hands-on lesson.
Ferdikion, who seemed a bit embarrassed but couldn't hide his delight, was asked by Imugi.
"Did Fasyas-sama teach you this too?"
Ferdikion had an ambiguous expression but soon shook his head.
"No. My mother, Kuzuna, taught me this."
'She calls him Kuzuna, as if it's a casual name.'
It was a sign that the emotional barrier was lower.
Imugi recalled that Ferdikion had lost his mother early in his life.
'Maybe confirming that I don't have parents wasn't as bad as I thought.'
If his mother was the only one he could be comfortable with, Ferdikion must have struggled to find a replacement after losing her.
This naturally led to a sense of empathy in Imugi.
'No wonder he's quite lenient with me despite his temper. This is the reason.'
From Ferdikion's perspective, having lost one of his parents, he might have wanted to be considerate.
Ferdikion had his father, but Imugi had no one.
Imugi thought for a moment and then asked cautiously.
"Was Kuzuna-sama a good person?"
"Yeah. She was very kind."
But Ferdikion couldn't continue. He seemed to think he had said too much and clamped his mouth shut.
Imugi, seeing this as an opportunity, thought to himself.
'This is it. The means to reform this guy.'
The memory of his mother.
The earliest and strongest, most affectionate memory Ferdikion had.
Even in an environment where it was difficult to recall his deceased mother, the fact that he still held onto it meant it was deeply ingrained in his subconscious.
"Bro, I want to hear you sing."
It was a firm answer, as if he had put on an impenetrable suit of armor.
"I can't sing. Singing is something idle people do. We, who strive to become elders, need to guard against such laziness."
Imugi felt stifled, looking at the window.
However, Imugi was a divine beast who had lived for nearly a thousand years.
In a situation where most would say it was impossible to communicate, he just clicked his tongue inwardly.
'At this point, he's even pitiful.'
Despite living for a relatively long time, he seemed to have lived without much leisure.
Imugi, who had been criticized and despised, had lived a life where he chose his own dwelling and minimized interference, living as he wished.
Though his life had its own hardships and fatigue, seeing Ferdikion, who had grown up under a father who deprived him of the chance to think for himself, made him feel a bit sorry.
"Really? I was curious about what left such a strong impression on you. I've never heard a song since I was born."
'I haven't heard one since I hatched, so it's not a lie.'
Imugi, calmly rationalizing, spoke with a somewhat pure intention.
"Bro, you said you liked Kuzuna-sama, right?"
"......If I must say, yes."
Ferdikion's lips moved awkwardly, as if he was uncomfortable saying it again.
Imugi, pretending not to know, continued.
"I saw a message left by my mother as soon as I hatched. It was an inscription wishing for my happiness."
Recalling the moment, he finally smiled faintly.
"I've never seen her face, but it felt strange."
He was grateful for the new opportunity after dying once, but there was also a sense of sentiment from the inscription left by a mother who had died.
"That's why I'm curious. I think the song left by your mother must have contained her feelings."
Imugi said this, fidgeting with his fingers for a moment.
Seeing that he wasn't getting an immediate answer, it seemed he needed a bit more time.
Ferdikion was conflicted by the young black hatchling's innocent question.
His father, Fasyas, often scolded him, saying that if he had time to sing, he should focus on developing his abilities to rule as a dominator.
Fasyas' voice, which he had heard since childhood, replayed vividly in his mind.
- How long do you plan to remain a foolish child? You're a halfwit. You seem to have written this to make yourself an easy pawn for Dragon Lord Isha to manipulate! Because of you, I'll be treated like an idiot. You're a terrible son.
- To be interested in something like a bard's hobby. I didn't know you could be so brainless. It must be because your mother taught you that way.
The memory of being beaten mercilessly for arguing back against Fasyas' criticism of him also surfaced.