Chapter 150
“We have been waiting for the Calamity’s return!”
“O Calamity!”
Watching the dark mages bowing as if they were worshipping her, Daphne let out a hollow laugh.
At that moment, Shio quietly spoke from beside her.
“Um, Lady Daphne. I don’t think this is the case, but I figured I should ask just in case.”
“Don’t ask.”
“Did you create the Wraiths?”
“Oh, come on! As if I would. At least ask something that makes sense.”
Daphne jabbed Shio in the side with her elbow and glared at him.
Then she let out a long sigh.
She had never imagined that these people would recognize her.
Back when she had been Cellus, the Calamity, these dark mages had constantly followed her around, bowing and scraping before her.
What had they said again?
Something about becoming immortal themselves if the Calamity bestowed power upon them.
Since they had done nothing but spout absurd nonsense, Cellus had never paid them much attention back then.
And after becoming Daphne, she had learned that they had all sided with Lani anyway, so she paid them even less attention.
Well, she didn’t know why they were trying to find Cellus’s body, but in any case, she had thought she would never have anything to do with the Wraiths again.
Yet…
“O Calamity! Please guide us!”
“Grant us your power!”
“Grant us the trace of immortality!”
‘Here they go with this nonsense again.’
Daphne lifted her chin.
‘How did they figure out I was the Calamity?’
‘How else? You’ve been using your power nonstop.’
Only then did Daphne begin reflecting on the fundamental issue that perhaps she had been acting far too recklessly all this time.
‘But what’s wrong with acting recklessly? If something goes wrong, can’t I just smash everything apart?’
“Lady Daphne.”
Just then, elf Teiti, who had approached without her noticing, spoke.
“Are we really going to let them live?”
He asked cautiously.
“If we spare them and that green-haired bastard finds out who you really are, won’t that be a serious problem?”
“Hmm.”
“Shouldn’t we strike before he learns anything? I don’t think we should allow any unnecessary information to reach him.”
“Hmmmm.”
With her arms folded, Daphne slowly shook her head from side to side.
Teiti’s argument made sense.
Knowing full well that sparing them could create future problems, leaving them alive might very well be foolish.
Perhaps killing them all here really was the correct choice.
However, Daphne was a kind dragon who had never once taken a human life.
In other words, she had neither the intention nor the resolve to kill a human being.
So Daphne became even more conflicted.
Then she looked toward the kneeling dark mages and asked,
“Let’s hear you out first. Why have you been doing such things all this time?”
Yan, kneeling at the very front, tilted his head.
“I’m not sure what you mean by ‘such things.’”
“I mean killing people.”
“And rampaging around like lunatics.”
“…”
Yan’s eyes darkened slightly.
After letting out a deep sigh, he answered,
“Because we needed to gather the power of death.”
“And what were you planning to do with it?”
“To become immortal.”
“…”
Daphne’s expression twisted.
“So immortality was your goal?”
Yan did not answer.
Taking advantage of the silence, the dark mages behind him shouted,
“Yes! We wish to share in the eternal life of the great Calamity!”
“And then conquer the world!”
Oh.
Listening to their unbelievably childish answer, Daphne let out a dry laugh.
“So those who wanted immortality arbitrarily murdered innocent people who were living perfectly normal lives.”
As Daphne pressed a hand against her forehead, Teiti whispered again,
“Lady Daphne. There’s nothing more to see here. Just kill them.”
“…”
These people had no convictions.
Without convictions, they did not understand how much harm their actions caused others, nor did they realize the extent of the suffering they had created.
Someone without convictions but with stubborn determination was truly beyond saving.
People like that were almost impossible to reform.
‘Do I… really have to deal with them myself?’
Holding her forehead, Daphne let out a weary sigh.
Then, while doing so, she quietly looked at Yan, who had answered every question until now but had suddenly fallen silent.
“You.”
After crouching down in front of Yan, Daphne looked directly into his eyes.
“Your expression is different.”
“Did you have another reason?”
“…My face is wrapped in bandages. How can you possibly see my expression?”
Despite the sharpness in his reply, Daphne chuckled softly.
“Your eyes give you away.”
Pointing toward his eyes, she continued,
“There are emotions hidden within them that you cannot conceal.”
“It looks as though you’re dying to speak.”
Resting her chin on one hand, she asked,
“Tell me.”
“What reason did you have?”
Yan lowered his gaze and bit his lower lip.
‘A reason…’
Long ago…
Back when he had only just entered the world, stopped crying, and begun smiling…
He remembered the person who had come to him back then.
“To take revenge on the one who made me like this.”
“…Like this?”
“Yes.”
Yan pulled apart the bandages covering his face and revealed the flesh beneath them to Daphne.
Skin that looked melted, festering, and horribly blackened.
Daphne, who had been calmly looking at Yan until now, widened her eyes.
Only now did she seem to realize how serious his condition truly was.
“Who…”
Suppressing the memories rising within her, Daphne asked,
“Who did this to you?”
Yan drew a deep breath.
Then, looking directly into Daphne’s eyes, he spoke.
“…The Emperor.”
Clenching his fist tightly, Yan continued,
“He is the one who made me like this.”
☆☆☆
‘Ah… what a headache.’
Sitting in a chair beside the fireplace, Daphne folded her arms and gently rocked back and forth.
As she did, she stared at the dark mages who had all been tied up.
“You’re really not going to kill them?”
At Teiti’s question, Daphne raised an eyebrow.
“We’ll erase their memories.”
“Erase everything, then leave them in a near-death state.”
“Killing them would be much simpler…”
“Quiet.”
Glancing at Teiti, Daphne replied,
“We’ll hand them over to the Guardians afterward.”
“They’ll receive the punishment they deserve, so let’s leave it to them.”
Shio shrugged.
“Lady Daphne, you’re always the same.”
“That’s my greatest strength.”
“Haha… yes…”
Shio hesitated for a moment before quietly approaching Daphne and whispering,
“By the way… what are you planning to do with Yan?”
“I’ll take him back to the Grand Duke’s residence.”
“And torture him afterward?”
Artson suddenly cut in.
Shio, Teiti, and Daphne all turned to look at him at the same time.
Frowning deeply, he grumbled,
“What? Why are you all looking at me like that?”
“I was just asking whether you’d do to him what you did to me!”
“He and I both did some pretty strange things.”
At his words, Teiti covered his mouth and exclaimed,
“My goodness, Lady Daphne! Did you hear that?”
“Lord Artson admitted with his own mouth that what he did was strange!”
“This is incredible.”
“What remarkable progress!”
“Oh, seriously.”
“You really have a talent for getting on a dragon’s nerves.”
“I do.”
Leaving the two of them bickering behind, Daphne answered Shio.
“For now, I think I need to properly read Yan’s memories.”
“There’s something bothering me.”
“Hm? Something bothering you?”
Daphne quietly lowered her gaze, avoiding Shio’s eyes.
Scattering away the memories of the past that kept resurfacing, she let out a long breath.
“I’ll tell you once I’m certain.”
“Ah, yes. Understood.”
Shio nodded.
Looking over the dark mages, all of whom had now been restrained, Daphne stood up.
“Let’s head back now.”
“When the Guardians arrive, we’ll hand them over.”
“Ah, that’s right.”
“Why aren’t the Guardians here yet?”
They had already contacted the Guardians before setting out.
They should have arrived by now.
So why hadn’t they?
Only now did they begin to find it strange.
Just then, a familiar voice came from behind one of the pillars.
“Daphne.”
Startled, Daphne turned around.
The moment she did, she saw Rache stepping out from behind the pillar.
‘Why is Rache here?’
Then she remembered that Rache was also a Guardian, and her surprise subsided.
“Brother.”
“Why did you arrive so late?”
“And why are you alone?”
“Where is everyone else?”
“That’s not important right now.”
But something about Rache was different.
His usual gentle voice and warm expression were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, his face was deathly pale.
.☆☆☆
Daphne instinctively sensed that something was wrong.
Thump.
Her heart began beating faster.
“Daphne.”
Rache stepped one pace closer to her and asked,
“You.”
“What… exactly are you?”
☆▪︎▪︎▪︎☆
