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Chapter 97




"Meow meow."
[It's okay.]
‘It’s not like it will take a long time, it’s better to finish it quickly and go.’
If he had taken a nap while leaning against the sleep device, it would have taken quite a while before they could have a conversation.
“Meow...”
Hork.
It felt like he was drinking warm milk after a long time.
“Meow.”
‘It’s warm, so it’s good.’
Holding the warm milk cup with his front paws, Christina added more syrup to her tea.
“So, how was the quest?”
[It wasn’t easy, but it was a good experience.]
She nodded and pushed her blonde hair behind her ear.
[At first, my relationship with Ferdikion and Amelia wasn’t good. When we finally resolved it and entered the dungeon, a deep night elf, born from the power of the Dark Clan, appeared.]
Rune had appropriately downplayed things that were absolutely unbelievable for a young one like him to have done.
The deep night elf’s path and the story of the dark market in the desert were places that couldn’t be reached by ordinary means.
The key played the role of finding such paths and creating doors.
While it was uncertain which path it would connect to, if used well, it could discover paths that no one else could.
‘Possession... no, invocation is a more fitting term.’
Though it was hard to be certain from just one instance, it seemed to be a plausible hypothesis to Rune.
Since Black Night was born with a portion of Rune’s power, including the strength he had been personally cultivating.
‘Now that I can harvest feathers and tears for the rest of my life, it’s good, but at first, I was quite upset that he took the power I had accumulated for a month.’
Thinking back to the past, Christina said with a look of approval.
“Perhaps, Black Night wanted to borrow your body to express his gratitude.”
“Meow.”
Rune nodded obediently.
In any case, his guess was correct.
‘I thought it was a pretty good artifact, but it seems it was a form of gratitude.’
He felt a bit greedy, wishing he could have gotten more.
Artifacts like the water gem, tailored to Rune’s abilities, were not easy to obtain.
The conversation was now nearing its end.
[The final boss was a Kraken. I managed to capture it using the trap jar I had ordered from Jedd. It’s a gift for Christina.]
‘I wanted to prove that I have the skill to capture a Giant Kraken.’
For a young hatchling, it was an excellent achievement.
It could show how strong Rune was and also be a good way to repay her for the various conveniences she usually provided.
Christina smiled warmly.
“Clearing the dungeon and bringing something for me. When you returned from the Red Dragon’s lair and brought back the dwarf’s accessory, I felt the same way. Your thoughtfulness is truly commendable.”
The warmth in her gentle smile made it clear that she genuinely appreciated Rune’s gift.
[Christina has been very attentive to me. I’m grateful.]
If the first dragon he met hadn’t been Christina, Rune wouldn’t have grown up the way he did.
After the thank you, Rune informed her of the results of his journey.
[In the end, Amelia purified the dungeon, and I completed the Seal of Darkness properly.]
“You’ve worked hard.”
Considering what Rune had personally gained and the improvement in his subordinates’ abilities through hunting, the rewards from this expedition were quite substantial.
Most importantly, earning the favor of the Blue Dragons was a good card to play in the future.
With a hint of Earl Grey fragrance in her breath, Christina’s dignified voice echoed.
“Although Amelia will focus on recovery for a while, her power will be fine. The water aura has been unstable, but now it can flow steadily.”
A word can create a thousand debts.
Christina, who had taken a sip of her tea, gently placed the cup back on the saucer.
“Now that you have fully possessed the Seal of Darkness, you are a proper successor of the Dark Clan. Though it’s a bit early, I want to tell you a bit about it.”
With the seal completed, he was both a hatchling under Christina’s protection and the sole candidate for the leader of the Dark Clan.
It was a natural progression.
Rune, who felt the inevitable, looked at her with a serious expression.
“You can speak about the clan’s authority to the other elders, and if there’s a legitimate reason, you can request something or ask for cooperation. Or, you can reveal the power of the Dark Clan’s authority.”
Rune was already aware of this.
Through inherited knowledge and the completed seal, he had a good grasp of the significant things he could do.
Christina continued.
“There is a clear difference between acting under my protection and making equal demands. It’s the presence or absence of responsibility.”
“Meow.”
If you wield the power you have without a sense of responsibility, there will be consequences.
It was a natural principle.
And for a young one like him, it was a difficult concept to grasp.
‘This is something I can’t just say I know. I have to show it through my actions.’
He listened without dismissing it, nodding his head.
“Now that the absorbed power is still new, but after a good sleep, you should be able to use it more naturally. Do you have any plans for what you want to do with that power?”
“Meow.”
[There is something I want to do first.]
Rune, who had sipped the warmed hot milk, blinked his eyes.
[If Ferdikion wants, I want to help with his coming-of-age ceremony. And...]
Despite his young, chubby-cheeked appearance, the words he spoke were quite heavy.
[I want to visit the lair where my clan used to live.]
“That...”
Christina had a less-than-enthusiastic expression.
Rune also knew about her conflict.
‘The lair of the Dark Clan. The land of the other name of the old Black Dragon Clan, the Guides of Death. The place where the Altar of Judgment stands.’
The land where the Dark Clan once lived had become a black wasteland.
At night, the vast black plain seemed to connect with the sky, and the occasional sand reflecting the moonlight shone like stars.
That’s why it was called the night sky on the land, or the land of beautiful guardians of death.
‘And now, there’s a human mage’s research facility there, apparently.’
It had been over a thousand years since the Black Dragon Clan was wiped out.
Since no other dragon had claimed the land, it was enough to stimulate the adventurous spirit of humans who wanted to explore the long-abandoned legendary land.
Most importantly, there was a dungeon called the <Book of Life and Death> that the Dark Clan had managed for generations.
‘A dungeon named after a book. Who came up with that?’
In any case, this dungeon wasn’t meant to be cleared.
It was more like a sanctuary near the land of judgment.
Christina, who had been pondering, couldn’t know what had become of the thousand-year-old abandoned dungeon.
An unknown place.
But it was also the homeland of the Black Dragons.
Christina cast a troubled glance at her teacup.
‘It’s difficult. I can’t just say no to a child who wants to see his clan’s homeland.’
It was a place he would eventually have to visit, but for a young hatchling, it was a dangerous and distant journey.
Christina, who had been pondering, raised her deep, dazed eyes.
“To be honest, I want to discourage you. But I understand your desire to find your clan’s homeland. It’s a place you, as the owner of the lair, will eventually have to reclaim.”
Christina continued.
“After you go to sleep, I’ll check on the place. We can discuss the details later.”
“Meow.”
[Thank you, Christina.]
This was the best conversation they could have for now.
After the conversation ended, Christina sent Rune back first.
What thoughts she was immersed in after he left, he couldn’t fathom, having spent a thousand years himself.
The next day.
Rune packed a lot of items to send to Jedd and stuffed them into his subspace bag.
He wanted to make Black Night pay for his nonsense, but since he was about to go to sleep, he decided to give the promised items.
‘Of course, not without a fight.’
Black Night had to pay for teaching him the phrase ‘stalker pervert’.
Just then, a message from Jedd came through the mokojiseki.
<Rune-sama, Rune-sama! I heard the rumor that you finally conquered the Water Lair! Wow, as expected of Jedd! I believed in you! I have a great eye for recognizing my lord!>
Usually, he would have gone on for at least five lines, but this time he was cutting his words short and being cautious, clearly having already figured out the situation with Black Night and the mokojiseki.
<So, since you found my invention, the <Seal of Mana Jar>, useful, I assume you’re willing to support my research funds and materials.>
The ending of his sentences was peculiar.
His fingers were undoubtedly moving according to the flow of his excited thoughts.
‘He talks well, but he doesn’t know what kind of price a single word can bring.’
Rune narrowed his eyes.
The speed of the characters appearing on the mokojiseki subtly increased.
<As you know, I don’t ask for much. Just a moderate amount of funds, materials, pearls, scales, and a bit of the story about the elf you captured!>
It felt like he could see Jedd rubbing his hands together and grinning right in front of him.
He had no more patience to listen. Rune immediately replied.
<The reward is good, but stop teaching Black Night strange things.>
<What??>
Feeling that something was off, the mokojiseki went quiet.
The sound of Jedd’s brain working could be heard from here.
<What do you mean, Rune-sama? What did I do to Black Night-sama??>
<‘Stalker pervert’>
<Was that wrong? I don’t think I said anything strange.>
“?”
Jedd, who had meant it as a warning to Black Night to be careful of strange people, didn’t notice the oddity, but Rune frowned at the sentence.
His careless words and inflated greed.
A single word can create a thousand debts, or receive them.
<You really can’t do it.>
<What?!>
Receiving an unexpected response, Jedd hastily wrote on the mokojiseki, but Rune had already put it back in his pocket.