Even the scales left on the floor melted into the air, leaving no trace of the butterfly.
Hwang Jiho got annoyed while Hwangryong lamented with a complex expression.
“There will be a crisis in the Dragon Palace and above the ground.”
“There is no time to lament. The information on the Yongsae has been leaked, so take measures.”
“I see you’ve stopped talking weakly. Well, as long as we know about the enemy’s existence, I have no intention of responding loosely.”
Now that the butterfly disappeared, there was nothing more to see here.
Hwangryong and Hwang Jiho seemed to intend to return to the place where the traitors were being tortured.
‘I should tell Hwangryong now.’
I’m leaving the Dragon Palace soon.
It will be difficult to get Hwangryong alone.
Hwang Jiho is here, but I think it would be best to speak now to fulfill Chokryong’s request.
“Please wait.”
Hwangryong and Hwang Jiho stopped walking simultaneously and looked back at me.
I spoke respectfully, so he should know that I was talking to Hwangryong.
“I need to tell you something.”
“Go ahead.”
Hwang Jiho watched, having no intention of leaving.
When Chokryong asked me a favor, she told me not to tell it in the presence of other dragons.
Hwang Jiho is not a dragon, so I guess it will be okay.
“It’s about the Crystal Palace.”
Hwangryong’s face blurred.
Ao Guang, King of the Eastern Sea.
Ao Run, King of the Western Sea.
Ao Qin, King of the Southern Sea.
Ao Shun, King of the Northern Sea.
(T/N: In Korean, the “Ao” is pronounced as “Oh”)
These four are collectively known as the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, and it is said that they stayed at the Crystal Palace before their ascension.
The Dragon Palace has five palaces, but the Crystal Palace is not here.
“I see you’ve heard from Chokryong.”
“Yes.”
“How far has she told you?”
“I heard that you are managing the Crystal Palace in secret from the other dragons. That you are spending a lot of energy to manage the Crystal Palace which is outside of the Dragon Palace’s boundary.”
Chokryong’s request was to tell Hwangryong to stop managing the Crystal Palace.
The burden on Hwangryong to protect the five-colored palaces and the Crystal Palace on his own is very heavy.
Chokryong had a connection with one of the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas and tried to convince Hwangryong to leave it to her.
But there was something strange about it.
‘It’s odd that she wants me to convey the word instead of Cheongryong.’
And she asked me to tell Hwangryong in the absence of the other dragons.
The matter of the Crystal Palace must be a difficult matter for the other dragons to know.
I don’t know the details, but this request seems to entail a big secret.
“Chokryong wants me to stop looking after the Crystal Palace.”
“Yes.”
“As much as I’d like to grant any request from the Dragon Clan’s benefactor…”
“It wasn’t the Tiger Clan’s benefactor’s request. He just told you what Chokryong said.”
I don’t intend to force Hwangryong to do anything.
I’ve told him now, so doesn’t that fulfill Chokryong’s request?
Although Chokryong and Hwangryong are on friendly terms, she can’t force Hwangryong to do something he doesn’t want to do.
Hwangryong spoke heavily.
“I guess I can tell the Dragon Clan’s benefactor?”
“You didn’t forget that this body is here, right?”
“Hwangho, you and I have similarities. I know you care about your friends, so I’m sure you’ll understand.”
Hwangho didn’t seem to agree that they were similar, but he wasn’t dissatisfied with the latter statement.
In some aspects, they really are the same.
When he saw that Hwang Jiho was silent, Hwangryong continued.
“Let me ask you first. Do you know of a family on earth that uses the same surname as the four dragons, uses a dragon to symbolize their family, and whose members are born with exceptional abilities by human standards, and have earned a considerable level of wealth and honor?”
A family that uses the surname “Oh.”
They use dragons as their symbol, have members of exceptional ability, and have an exceptional level of wealth and honor.
I know of one.
I feel like he’s referring to one of my playable characters’ family.
“No one in that family will live a long life.”
That made me sure.
Hwangryong was talking about Oh Hyeji’s family.
Oh Hyeji is one of the pillars of the Joo-Oh Group, one of Korea’s largest conglomerates, and a student outstanding enough to rank among the top players in Eungwang High.
All Koreans know that they use dragons as symbols.
After all, the name of their baseball team is the Joo-Oh Dragons.
‘Oh is a relatively common surname, and dragons are often used to symbolize sports teams. I never thought the Joo-Oh Group was related to the Dragon Clan. Maybe the dragons who don’t know the situation aren’t aware of this too.’
And the people from the Oh Family aren’t bound to live long.
It suddenly reminded me of Joo Soohyuk’s relative, Joo Soogyeom.
He said something about the Joo-Oh Rebellion.
— The cause is the Oh Family’s bad luck.
— There are many short-lived people in the Oh Family. Among them was the supposed next head of the Joo-Oh Group.
— The Oh Family’s hands are precious. No one on the board wants to put an Oh on important posts because they suddenly die and their lineage is short. Well, except for the Oh Family, that is.
Hwang Jiho is the head of a different conglomerate group, so he must’ve quickly recognized who Hwangryong was referring to.
But when I looked at Hwang Jiho’s eyes, I don’t think he knows yet.
So even the Tiger Clan doesn’t know that the Oh Family is related to the Dragon Clann.
No, looking at the current situation, it seems more accurate to say that the Oh Family is related to the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas, not the Dragon Clan.
“There must be a relationship between the sea dragons and the Oh Family’s bad luck.”
“That’s right.”
Hwangryong affirmed and continued.
“After the worldly collisions, the dragons scattered across the sea and didn’t regroup immediately. In the meantime, the Crystal Palace was attacked to the point of destruction.”
“Was it a situation where the Dragon King or the other dragons couldn’t help?”
“It was too much to adapt to the changing world and protect the Dragon Palace where the Dragon King can descend.”
There was a sense of guilt in Hwangryong’s voice.
He seemed to regret his past failure to help the sea dragons.
It might be because of the Crystal Palace incident that they chose to have the Dragon Palce hidden in the deep sea where it is so difficult to enter and leave.
“The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas responded directly to the situation, apart from the will of the Dragon Clan.”
“They did?”
“In exchange for building a new Crystal Palace and serving the dragons, they contracted with a human on the Korean Peninsula to distribute their blood and flesh and promised wealth and honor.”
Don’t tell me someone from the Oh Family built their empire by eating the blood and flesh of dragons!
I roughly understood what was going on.
The royal lineage’s power is based on their reputation.
If a powerful family on the Korean Peninsula serves the four sea dragons, their power will rise.
They wanted to rebuild the Crystal Palace even by giving their blood and flesh.
Then why is this so unknown among the Dragon Clan?
“They signed a contract with a human, giving their blood and flesh. What a disgrace.”
My question was answered by Hwang Jiho’s comment.
That contract seemed to be a disgrace to people of royal lineage.
That’s why even among the Dragon Clan, only the sea dragons, Chokryong, and Hwangryong were aware.
“The Dragon Kings of the Four Seas gave the Oh Family their name and promised wealth and honor. The contract went smoothly, and as their divinity rose, they ascended one by one. But after the last one ascended, trouble arose.”
The last of the four to ascend turns out to be Yeom Junyeol’s maternal grandfather.
After he ascended, a problem came up with the contract.
I guessed it before hearing from Hwangryong.
“As time passed and the dragons disappeared, the Oh Family forgot about the contract. The Crystal Palace was neglected, and they stopped serving the four dragons. The only remnant of a dragon in their family is their symbol.”
The person who signed the contract with the dragons died, and the contract was forgotten.
The successor who heard about the contract may have neglected it, or he may have tried to uphold it properly but the other family member objected, or he may have been killed by a political opponent.
It was very difficult for the predecessor’s promise to continue into the future.
“One of the Oh from the Joo-Oh family was particularly buzzy. The contract may have fizzled out during the fight for succession.”
“I know that human affairs are complicated. But they and the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas have shared a heavy promise. Regardless of the dragons’ will, they will pay for not fulfilling the contract.”
We don’t know if the Oh Family intentionally broke the contract, but one thing was certain.
If this goes on, people will pay a price without knowing why.
‘Oh Hyeji and Oh Hyejung have no idea about the contract.’
Oh Hyeji dies in the First Christmas Scenario of PMH.
Oh Hyejung wasn’t even introduced properly, and she’s presumed to die while rescuing Saeum of April during the Hwanmong Auction.
Since they died for other more obvious reasons, there was no time to mention the “Oh Family’s Bad Luck.”
I felt eerie that the two people I saved were in a position to have short lives because of an unknown factor.
“If I stop looking after the Crystal Palace, what will happen to the palace that my close friends wanted to protect? And if the Crystal Palace collapses, the Oh Family will have to pay a higher price.”
Hwangryong seemed to have no intention of dropping the Crystal Palace.
Hwangryong will continue to bear a huge burden, and the lives of my playable characters are at stake.
I couldn’t just be a bystander in this situation.
Oh Hyeji and Oh Hyejung.
The Oh Family’s misfortune.
A contract with the Dragon Kings of the Four Seas.
Hwangryong and the Crystal Palace.
After organizing my thoughts, I spoke up.
“Chokryong might have asked that favor in consideration of you. But now, I want to say something of my personal opinion.”
“You must have a suggestion.”
Hwangryong looked a little surprised but smiled softly soon.
Hwang Jiho watched with his mouth closed and looked as if he knew this would happen.
I decided to tell them of the plan that came to mind.
“Yes, I have a proposal.”
***
Kim Shinrok’s torture ended safely before another day in the Dragon Palace ended.
They said that when the former Shaman Yoohwang held on for a long time, Cheongryong and the other dragons distorted the time.
I thought time distortion was only possible in gardens, but it seems that the dragons can join forces and do that in the Dragon Palace.
The former Shaman Yoohwang vomited the method, time, and timing of contact with Nabiryeong.
With that information, security at the Red Lion building will be strengthened.
“I will head back up to the land, but the other dragons will remain.”
The five dragons who came to monitor the shamans decided to stay by Hwangryong’s side.
There’s only one palace shaman who will remain, which is the former Shaman Hong.
We couldn’t leave this mess to Hwangryong alone, and even Cheongryong tried to stay to help.
However, since one of them is needed for a transfer to occur from Earth to the Dragon Palace, it was decided that one of them should be on land.
“Hwangryong-nim! I’ll be back soon!”
The four new shamans will also head up to help the Dragon Clan.
Hwangryong replied affectionately to Yoon Yeorang’s words, saying that he’ll see them soon.
“Yes, I hope you can be more comfortable the next time you visit.”
Starting with Yoon Yeorang, Hwangryong bid goodbye to those who will head back.
He spoke with Kim Shinrok for a long time.
Other than telling him to take care of Yong Jegun (who was fluttering well next to them), he seemed to give him advice on the energy wave link they used last time.
‘Did he feel something while using the energy wave link?’
I should ask Kim Shinrok later when I get the chance.
Finally, it was my turn.
“I owe you an unfathomable grace. More than half of this Dragon Palace is yours too, so I look forward to your return.”
“Excuse me?”
“Let’s begin the transfer.”
I think I definitely refused the palaces being given to me though.
I had no chance to reply to Hwangryong as the energy waves began to flow around us.
As if he was waiting, Cheongryong started exuding his strength.
I tried to get in a word or two, but my voice was buried by the powerful waves.
In the meantime, it was clear that Jeokho was pouring out harsh words about passing things on to me.
“I look forward to seeing you again.”
After hearing Hwangryong’s voice between the roar, he and the Dragon Palace became invisible.
With the dragons and tigers, we headed to the ground confidently without regret.
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