Dragonlord

Ep 188. Atta Boy. (5)

Ep 188. Atta Boy. (5)

There were two major changes that had occurred since Raizel’s sudden recovery.

For one, Aymeia was no longer being guilt-tripped into being a furniture; the former deity was quick to join the efforts on sorting through the dragonkin’s tributes, proving herself just as useful as Karas with her extensive knowledge on mankind’s ancient crafts. After all, most were items she’d actually seen before.

And secondly…

“…”

“…”

“…”

At first, Eline had told Raizel to be cautious. The youngling was to refrain from using her spontaneously-grown arm, or putting excessive pressure on her leg.

…But the moment they arrived at Vulka’s grave, that was no longer happening.

Despite the others’ surprised looks, Raizel had immediately resorted to helping her lord with the sorting – which was mostly carrying huge loads of treasures from one pile to another.

To everyone’s surprise, the steel dragon didn’t break in. Or run off. Or even complain about having chores to do.

And to everyone’s shock, she was using limbs that they thought would remain dysfunctional for at least another year…if not forever.

“What? Stop looking at me like that, I’m fine.”

“…That’s kinda why we’re looking at you.”

Raizel rolled her eyes as Ilias ignored her request for…probably the 10^th time.

In fact, it wasn’t even just Ilias. Despite the river of relics that had to be sorted through, everyone continued to steal glances at their newest arrival – and it wasn’t just because Raizel was actually volunteering to help them. As surprising as that was, it wasn’t even near the level of a lost limb sprouting back.

In the meantime, both Serenis and Eline continued to keep a close eye on the youngling, watching for any potential side effects or failures on the elixir’s part – and so far, there weren’t any.

Although, Serenis did find one thing oddity about the treasured remedy.

“…I suppose her horns and wings are beyond the remedy?”

“Oh, that’s true. That never occurred to me…”

Eline quietly observed Raizel’s head and shoulders for a moment. Despite the elixir’s ridiculous efficacy, Raizel was still the same hornless, wingless dragon she’d always been.

From Serenis’ point of view, the changes made no sense. If the elixir was truly an all-curing remedy, the horns and wings should’ve been restored just the same; in fact, she imagined that they’d be easier to regrow than an entire limb.

But once the dragonlord had pointed out the remedy’s strange effects, Eline quietly nodded her head, trying to process the medicine’s workings.

“Well, an elixir is…inherently known to be all-curing. But if you delve into medicine, you realize that that’s not what an elixir actually does. What it actually does is, it restores the taker to their ideal state.”

“…Ideal state?”

Serenis furrowed her brows at the herbalist’s reply. Even from that explanation, she still saw no reason why Raizel’s horns and wings would be left missing – that wasn’t ideal for a dragon at all.

However, in Raizel’s case…

“She lost her horns and wings when she was little, right? And…she grew up like that. Her body might’ve adjusted to not having those features. Essentially, it might be thinking that the current state is its ideal state.”

The dragonlord’s frown deepend as she listened to Eline’s explanation. An evident bitterness filled her eyes as she returned her gaze back to the steel dragon.

But this time, Raizel managed to catch her lord looking at her.

“Ugh, not you too! I told you, I’m fine!”

“…Are you? Even without…”

“Actually, you know what? I’m not fine. I was trying not to say it, but like…how much crap is in here?!”

After setting down her load of treasure onto another pile, Raizel angrily kicked at a golden chalice on the floor – unfortunately (and intentionally) right towards her friend’s forehead. The cup soon bounced off Ilias with an audible smacking noise, clanging against other metals a few times before returning to being sprawled across the floor.

“Ow! What was that for?! If that hit anyone else, that could’ve killed someone!”

“But it didn’t. And I knew it wouldn’t.”

“…”

For the last 30 minutes, Ilias had been nothing but glad – and surprised – to see her friend recovered.

Now, she was starting to reconsider her feelings.

Sighing, Ilias turned away, returning to the task at hand.

“…You’re lucky we’re not outside.”

“Am I?”

Smirking, Raizel picked up a gold coin from the floor – and flicked it right at her friend’s head once more.

As the coin bounced off with another clean metallic sound, Ilias stopped in place, turning back around with a brow twitching in anger.

“Oh, now I really do need to go.”

Lest they start a fight inside the second lord’s remains.

As Raizel leapt out of the tribute chamber, Ilias instantly summoned her wings to chase after her friend, climbing back the way they’d come.

And while everyone continued to stare at the ceiling’s exit where the two younglings had gone, Bruton was the first to lower his head, his voice lined with worry and caution.

“L…Lord Serenis, should I follow them?”

“You could. Whether you do or not is up to you.”

“…”

Xerun immediately scoffed at the sight of Bruton’s unease.

“You’re worried about nothing. And it’s not like you can stop the two, anyways.”

“Xerun, Raizel hasn’t fully recovered yet. There’s no telling what’s going to happen.”

“If that’s not fully recovered, then I never want to see her fully recovered.”

“…”

“At least they had the decency to step outside.”

And with that final comment, Xerun resumed to examining the relics that were in his hands – mostly with ancient runes inscribed on them.

And when Eline finally managed to lower her gaze from the ceiling, that was the first thing she’d call out.

“Wait a minute…since when were you helping?”

“…Seeing how Bruton’s helping with the sorting, I don’t see why I shouldn’t. That is why I’ve been called, is it not?”

“…”

Eline’s interpretation of that was ‘I felt awkward standing around doing nothing while everyone else was working.’

And to that, she returned a wide smile.

“Atta boy. Elder Ardion will be proud.”

“…”

Xerun’s uncomfortable gaze locked with the herablist’s midair.

And in the growing tension(?), Light awkwardly looked to her professor with pursed lips.

“Look at that, everyone’s fighting each other. Maybe we should start fighting, too.”

“…”

Karas froze on the spot, his eyes shaking like they were in a small earthquake. Given that they actually did have a fight in Asarda, the very notion of them fighting had become a massive guilt trigger for the academic.

And soon, Light let out a quiet snicker before tapping Karas on his back.

“…Relax, professor. I’m joking.”

“Oh…phew.”

“Hey, look. There’s a sword here too.”

“…Why are you unsheathing it?”

“Guess.”

Light quickly tossed the scabbard aside, gripping the weapon with both hands.

She then turned towards her teacher with a playful smile, and an ominous blade glowing over her shoulder.

But as an old image began to overlap, Karas softly snorted at the sight of his student with a weapon.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

“If you wish to be scary, then stick to magic, Light. You’re no good with weapons.”

“Wha…how would you know? You never saw me with one!”

“…”

Instead of an answer, the professor only let out a small chuckle.

It wasn’t Light, per se – but he had seen the same soul wield a weapon before.

‘And boy, were you bad at all of them.’