ITK C355: The New Emperor’s Growth – Part 2

It’s still me, Ardheg, the Geyser Dragon, speaking.

…
Okay, I may not be a Geyser Dragon.

I’ve lost confidence in myself.
I couldn’t do what Father told me to do, no matter how many times I tried.

“Haa, you’ve worked hard. A whole lot…”
“…”
“And the result of all that hard work is this…shack?”

Father.
I know you’re disappointed. But please stop rubbing any more salt in the wound.

The new Dragon Emperor’s Castle I materialized with my mana is small.

Like, really small.

A hut by the standards of humans with only one room inside.

I released enough mana.
With the Dragon Ball, my power alone is definitely comparable to my father’s in his prime.
What I lack is imagination.
I don’t have a clear image of the castle in my mind, so I can’t make a proper one in real life, either.

The only thing my lousy thinking can handle is the scale of this hut.

“Father… Being the Geyser Dragon is too much for me. Can’t I let Brother Alexander take over?”
“D-Don’t be so downhearted, okay? Everyone doesn’t have it easy the first time around.”

Father’s tone suddenly became gentle…
It’s rather uncomfortable to know that he’s being considerate of me…!

“You, in particular, went from not having a dungeon of your own to suddenly becoming a Geyser Dragon. You don’t know much about dungeon structure, so you don’t have the reference to come up with one, see?”

He’s being weirdly kind!
I feel more and more pathetic.

“…”

My father, perhaps sensing my low spirits, gives me a helpless look.

“Let’s talk about something else.”
“Huh?”
“The age of dragons is about to change dramatically. Do you know why?”

Well…
It’s because Gaia, mother goddess of all, changed the way we lived, right? Not because I succeeded him as Geyser Dragon or anything.

My father nods his head in satisfaction.

“Correct. That’s what makes your era and mine different… And we dragons are by nature uncontrolled and free.”

That indeed we are.

“The freedom given to the strong. Because we are the strongest of creatures and have no natural enemies, we are not bound by anything. It is our pride. And the proudest dragons are the most unrestrained.”

Father continues, “This is why I disliked your brother. He was one outstanding dragon, yet he supported and helped a race as weak as humankind. It is an act of self-binding. There is no more shameless act for the strong than this.”

He didn’t approve of Brother Alexander and even robbed my sibling dragons of their power just to compete with him.

“Unfortunately, I was defeated by an unexpected opposition like you. Ultimately, I, a cornerstone of our pride, lost the strength that was the basis of my freedom…”

He sounds like he’s mocking himself.

“Sorry, I went off a tangent. But the nature of dragons will change. Gaia has decided so. Ardheg, you’re as loyal to mankind as your brother. You could say you’re unique.”
“Well…”

But it’s your fault that I’m like this.
You gave me a trial to find a king who is not a hero, or a hero who is not a king.

In order to accomplish that, I was forced to observe humanity.
Because of the trial’s nature, I had to ask myself, “What is a hero? “What is a king?” while watching them.

This led me to meet Lord Arowana and deeply appreciate humanity’s traits.

“As we enter a new era, perhaps it would be better for the Geyser Dragon to be different. You, who will try to reconcile with the lower races, that is. Well, Alexander is also qualified in that regard, but he has no desire to do so himself. That’s why it has to be you.”

Father…!
I thought he was just another free and selfish dragon, but I didn’t realize he had such deep insight!

“As expected of Father; that was quite the encouraging speech.”
“Hunh?! Who was that?!”

Suddenly, a voice came behind, startling the both of us.
We turn around to see a jet-black female dragon.

It’s…

“Sis Bloody Mary!”

The Graugrinzel Dragon!
Why is a powerful dragon, once called the most promising candidate for the next Geyser Dragon, here?

“Oh, am I perhaps not allowed to come here?”

No, but it’s not like there’s any need to come either…

“I’m here to see what the new Geyser Dragon built as his fortress. You’re our new ruler. I at least have to pay my respects, no?” she says, looking at my shabby work. “Excuse me? You call this shabby shack a castle?! You can’t cover up your unimpressive background like this!”

My sister sneered at me.
I feel dejected.

“If we leave you like this, the Geyser Dragon’s prestige will plummet to the ground. I guess you’ll need my guidance… Hm?”

…What, Sis, are you just here to ridicule me?
Please leave me be. I don’t need anyone else to tell me how pitiable I am.

“Ahhh! What are you so depressed about?!”
“Oh, for crying out loud. After I managed to lift his spirits up…” exasperatedly says Father. “Why are you really here, Mary? Did you come with your sarcastic comments out of retaliation because you couldn’t become Geyser Dragon? I must say, I’m not the least impressed as your father.”
“I don’t mean that, Father! I’m just checking to see how this bungler is doing as Geyser Dragon!”
“Hmph…Ah! Were you thinking of beating him here since Alexander and Veil aren’t around? That’s low, Mary, low!”
“Stoooooooooop! Please stop making strange accusations!”

They’re so loud despite having a dragon feeling down in the slumps here.

“Sis Mary. No matter how obsessed you are with the title, I think your tricks are going too far.”
“Could you not focus on the pointless parts?!”

For some reason, I’m the one who got scolded.
Why though?

In such a confusing situation, an even more confusing situation is thrown in.

“Ardheg! Are you here???”

When I looked up to see what was going on, I saw a dragon flying in the sky.

Uh, I don’t recognize them.

“I’m Magony, a Glintz Dragon! I heard you used your dirty tricks to steal the title! I should be the rightful successor! I’ll defeat you, you scumbag, and snatch the title of Geyser Dragon for myself!”

He must also be a part of the succession struggle.

“The rumors are spreading farther than I imagined…”
“Must’ve been Alexander’s doing. You’ll keep having more and more challengers like him.”

My father’s words made me feel even more dejected.
I have to put myself at the center of such a family feud, whether I want to or not.

“What’s wrong, Ardheg? Scared of me? You’re a coward, a small fry unbecoming of a dragon who has won through petty means! If you want to save yourself, you’ll have to abdicate to me right away… Huh?!”

He receives a severe blow to his body, interrupting his speech.

“Gah! What’s with this jet-black dragon magic? Ah! Sis Bloody Mary?!”

Before I knew it, my sister shot to the skies and one-sidedly beat up my sibling dragon.

“Let me hear who’s the coward and small fry again… Do you realize you said something you shouldn’t have said in front of me?”
“Wait! Please, wait! I was referring to Ardheg, the petty thief, and not you…!”
“Petty thief?! Well, listen up! Any insult to Ardheg is an insult to me! You will pay for your disrespect with your blood! Darkness Meteor!!!”
“Gaaaaaaah!!!”

Ruthless.
The second-best dragon in the world, Bloody Mary, quickly beat up the other dragon in the twinkling of an eye with her onslaught.

…She got so angry I was bad-mouthed that she was punishing him.
Maybe my sister is a good person after all. Or a good dragon.

I guess dragons aren’t always what they seem…

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