Chapter 192: Where the Sky This (3)
“Let’s go inside and talk first.”
Navardose pulled the door latch. The huge door opened so smoothly that it was hard to believe it had been neglected for centuries. Ronan’s eyes widened as he looked inside.
‘Why is it so ordinary?’
The room was just the right size for two people to stay in, and it even felt cozy. Contrary to Ronan’s expectation that it would be as bizarre as Jarodin or Professor Screekt’s office, it was filled with only necessary and common items.
There was a long stone desk, a dining table and chairs. Judging by the presence of two personal beds, it didn’t seem like they were that close. Or perhaps they were perverts who enjoyed intimacy due to the narrowness.
There was not a speck of dust to be found on the desk Ronan glanced at. He cocked his head.
“Didn’t you say it was abandoned for hundreds of years?”
“I enchanted it to maintain cleanliness. Just in case that child might come back… Well, since the son came looking for me, I guess you could say I’ve achieved some purpose.”
Navardose looked around the room with a gaze that oozed longing. The time she spent with his father was only three years. From the perspective of a dragon, it must have been a fleeting moment, but it seemed like she had developed quite an attachment.
“This room has been here since before this fortress was built. Drimore was built on the ground spread around here. ■■ was also the designer of this fortress.”
“My father designed this fortress?”
“Yeah. He insisted it was necessary to stop the enemies coming from beyond the sky. I accepted because I liked his guts, telling me to eat him if his words were false, and as you can see, it turned out to be the right decision.”
Navardose chuckled. Judging by the nonsense that bastard muttered to the Mother of Fire, he didn’t seem like just your ordinary madman. Sitting on the bed, she spoke.
“Now, tell me. How do you know Elysia?”
“Oh, that…”
For a moment, Ronan was at a loss for words. To tell the truth was a truly complicated story. His father, who is presumed to be the current Leader of Nebula Clazier, cursed him, and to lift the curse, he had to journey through the Mental World, where he possessed the body of the former Leader of Nebula Clazier, and the that person’s assistant was the woman named Elysia. This story had to be delivered persuasively.
‘She wouldn’t betray the person who saved her son. I even saved her daughter earlier.’
Since it was his deepest secret, he had to be even more careful. Yet, Ronan quickly made up his mind. After all, Navardose’s innocence had already been proven in his past life.
‘She gave it her all until the end.’
He knew all too well how fierce the fight between Duaru and Navardose had been. Moreover, someone wielding such deadly flame pouches wouldn’t lie.
Having organized his thoughts, Ronan began recounting everything that had happened so far, omitting only the fact that he had regressed, which could cause confusion.
“Curse…? Ah, I see. So, you that’s why can’t understand ■■’s name.”
“Besides that, there are many things. Did that person not talk about the curse?”
“Unfortunately, that is the case. He only left a message saying, “I recently had a child, and if you meet that child, please take care of him”.”
Navardose shook her head. Suddenly, one curiosity passed through Ronan’s mind as he listened to the story. It was a question that had been overlooked as obvious all along.
“Wait, I have one question. Lady Navardose, you are certain that whatever-his-name is my father… because of our similar appearance, but is there any other basis?”
“That’s because the last time ■■ came to me and your age match exactly. It was just over a decade ago, so I remember it accurately. You’re not asking about lifespan, are you? ■■ is like Lorehon, whom you all know well…”
“Oh, I know that. Mages don’t die of natural causes.”
The question wouldn’t have been asked if the robed figure wasn’t a transcendent being. By now, it seemed certain that the incomprehensible person was indeed his father. Navardose said,
“Let’s go back to Elysia’s story… She came to me with ■■ about a thousand years ago and called herself ■■’s assistant.”
“Assistant.”
“Yeah. Unlike ■■, who disappeared completely, Elysia was here at Drimore until recently. She was the most outstanding Spirit Master I’ve seen, so I was really disappointed when she suddenly left.”
“How recent are we talking about? It might be a long time according to dragon standards.”
“About five years. It really wasn’t long ago.”
Ronan furrowed his eyebrows. Certainly, five years wasn’t that long even by human standards. If Elysia could still be found, he needed to meet her as soon as possible. There were piles of questions he wanted to ask her right away.
Ultimately, if she had left Nebula Clazier, whether the person who came with her was really the robed figure, who is now leading the current Nebula Clazier, and why she helped his father. She was the one who could answer such questions, literally holding the key. Ronan, who discovered a glimmer of possibility, brightened his eyes and asked.
“Do you happen to know where Elysia went?”
“I do. It may not be of much help, though. She simply said that she was going north.”
“North?”
“Yeah. If you search the room, you might find something.”
Navardose explained that she gave her a considerable retirement payment but didn’t ask her any questions because she thought she had her own reasons.
Ronan, who was looking around the room, pursed his lips. It didn’t seem like there was anywhere to hide something particularly. He brushed his bangs away and expressed his gratitude.
“Thank you, Lady Navardose. I’ll take a look.”
“It’s nothing. I only told you what I knew.”
“If it’s okay, can I ask one more question?”
“Of course.”
“How much longer can you hold out?”
Navardose’s face stiffened at the sudden question. It was like an arrow piercing through her heart. After a moment of silence, she awkwardly raised the corners of her mouth.
“…Did you notice?”
“Yes. Today’s rupture wasn’t the first, it seems.”
“Ahaha… You’ve got a good eye.”
Navardose forced a smile. Avoiding eye contact as if she had lost face, she spoke up.
“…At most, five…no, about seven years.”
“As I expected.”
Ronan clenched his fists. He had been subtly aware of Bnihardo and Irainiel’s skills handling the monsters. The lifespan of the barrier that separates the two skies was running out. While Navardose fixed her gaze on the ceiling, she continued speaking.
“The aging of the barrier is a problem, but the biggest issue is that those disgusting creatures are getting stronger. Just over a hundred years ago, there wasn’t a single monster that Bnihardo’s flames couldn’t burn. Later, there may be ones that even I can’t handle.”
“Can’t the barrier be restored or reinforced?”
“It’s impossible. ■■ called it Armor. It’s the barrier we’ve had since the birth of the planet we live on, and it’s impossible to restore it through conventional means.”
Navardose explained that the supernaturally protective barrier called Armor envelops the entire planet. Even before the first spark ignited, the barrier had protected the planet and the life on it from external threats that Navardose had fend off just now.
However, for some reason, part of the armor had worn away, creating an environment where external enemies could invade. The monsters from beyond the sky, no matter how seemingly insignificant they seemed, possessed absurdly strong powers, so if their invasion were allowed to continue, not only the Empire but the entire world would undoubtedly perish.
That was why Drimore was built. To somehow delay the time and prevent the thinning sky. Ronan, who was piecing together the puzzle while retracing his memories from his past life, twisted his lips.
‘It fits perfectly. Seven years.’
Seven years from now coincided precisely with when the giants came down. If nothing else, it seemed certain that the collapse of the Drimore defense line was directly related to the Advent Catastrophe.
‘Are those baldies the same as those creatures from beyond the sky…’
It had been a question Ronan had harbored since he saw the monsters’ true nature. While the winged baldies were overwhelming in every aspect, the inherent strangeness that couldn’t be found in the original world made them feel eerily similar to the hideous creatures. Navardose, after finishing her explanation, rose from her seat.
“So, ■■ left. To find a way to save everyone.”
“A way to save everyone?”
“Yeah. Originally, ■■ resided here for that research. To create a shield akin to the Armor of the planet or to enable others to wield powers like his own. Anyway, he was an extraordinary child.”
Navardose suddenly cupped Ronan’s cheeks. Her hands were still warm. Ronan could feel her searching for memories of his father on his face. Then, Navardose, who was playing with his earlobe, said as if she remembered something.
“Oh, by the way, child, I thought of a reward for you.”
“For me?”
Ronan raised an eyebrow. Navardose grinned.
“Lie down on the bed for now.”
“….What?”
“Come on. We don’t know when those brutes might strike again, so let’s hurry.”
Navardose’s tone brooked no hesitation. As Ronan’s mind raced with a myriad of thoughts, the surroundings seemed to shift subtly. The chamber, the bed, and the beautiful lady. Even the lighting took on a reddish hue, skewing the accident further. Ronan stumbled backward in confusion.
“I-I’m not sure about rushing things.”
“I’ll take care of it, so don’t worry. Oh, and take off your clothes.”
“Suit yourself!”
Ronan took a deep breath. Was this a married dragon woman? Was this wicked dragon woman trying to lure him underground from the beginning? Despite admiring the cunning of the immortal living races, Ronan threw off his top and lay down.
“I’m lying down.”
“Yeah. Good. Relax and let your body loosen up.”
Due to the ferocious fire pouches she carried, he couldn’t see her face while lying down. Alas! This is why he should have listened to his sister who warned him not to blindly follow strangers!
If he refused, he would be turned into ashes, so there was no choice but to accept it. While he was making a desperate expression, an unexpected line came out of Navardose’s mouth.
“I know that the curse binding you is not ordinary.”
“What? All of a sudden…”
“■■ was truly vile. Even though he may have his reasons, doing this to a child… I believe in ■■, but I think this is too much.”
Navardose clicked her tongue. Ronan raised his head, realizing she was staring at where his heart was.
“Is the reward related to the curse?”
“Yeah. But even if I can forcibly remove the curse, your body might not handle it. However, there’s one thing, a spell originating from fire. I think we can manage with that.”
Unfortunately, what Ronan had speculated didn’t come to pass. But the reward she proposed was remarkable enough to overshadow that regret. Calming his emotions, Ronan asked her,
“What… what do I have to do?”
“Nothing. Just as I said, relax and lie down.”
“It’s surprisingly simple, that’s nice.”
It was unbelievable. Every time a curse was lifted, he had endured all sorts of torment. Could it be that she would provide relief in this way? With her hand on Ronan’s chest, Navardose said.
“Relax. It’ll only hurt the first time.”
“Did you say that on purpose just now?”
Instead of answering, Navardose let out a laugh. The characteristic warmth of the Red Dragon was spreading all the way to Ronan’s heart. Navardose, who had been scrutinizing Ronan’s heart meticulously, grimaced as if she were getting annoyed.
“Looking at it now, I can see that there is a lot going on. It won’t be easy to do this.”
“I didn’t want to end up like this.”
“There are six curses in total… I don’t know how it’s possible, but some of them have fused together and formed a core…Hm, what’s this? It looks familiar, but I don’t know what it is.”
Navardose tilted her head. It seemed like there was something that had taken root in Ronan’s heart that even she didn’t recognize. Ronan was about to say something when Navardose shrugged nonchalantly.
“Well, it doesn’t really matter.”
“Huh?!”
In an instant, her hand turned vivid red. A fierce heat engulfed Ronan’s heart.
