Chapter 197
A Discussion En Route
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Editor(s): Speedphoenix, Joker
“…It is far too bright out here . ” Lefi groaned as she waltzed out of the cave the dungeon was located within and found herself exposed to the sun’s light . She glared at it from between the fingers she was using to filter out its rays, her face twisted into an annoyed scowl .
“When was the last time you went outside anyway?”
“I don’t quite recall,” she said . “Very few of my recent memories entail exiting the living room, and those that do involve only remaining within the grasslands that lay outside the castle . ”
“I’m guessing that’s only ‘cause the girls keep asking you to play with them, right?”
“Indeed . ”
“Thought so . You’ve been getting pretty damn good at looking after them recently . ”
“I concur . ” She giggled before breaking into a boastful, toothy grin . “But I suppose it is to be expected . Entertaining a mere child or two is a simple task for one as great as I . ”
“Well, that is why they call you the Supreme Dragon, isn’t it?” I chuckled . “Thanks for always looking after everyone when I’m out . Really appreciate it . ”
“If you have truly come to understand my value, then it would do you well to pay me more respect,” she says . “To begin, you must offer me a seat upon your shoulders . ”
“Whatever you say, your majesty, whatever you say . ”
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I ducked down, stuck my head between her beautiful, dainty legs and hoisted her up onto my shoulders as I stood back up .
“Riding upon your shoulders never fails to disappoint,” she said . “It provides a wonderful perspective, one that allows me to gaze upon the earth from above . ”
“I mean, yeah, sure, but you can fly . Isn’t that literally the same thing but better?”
“Flight certainly does bear many merits . But as does this,” she said . “Seating myself atop your shoulders allows me to feel as if I am still connected . Both to the world beneath me, and to you . ”
“Connected, huh…?” I smiled .
“It allows me to bask in both the sensation of your touch and feel every step you take . It is pleasant, calming even, and bears a stark distinction from the almost lonely sensation that accompanies the act of treading the earth myself . ”
For a moment, I was shocked into silence . I didn’t know what I was supposed to say to the profession of her loneliness, nor how I was supposed to cure it . The right words didn’t seem to pop into my mind no matter how hard I thought . That was why I decided to stop trying and just be myself .
“Well, feel free to come crying to me if you ever feel lonely then . I’ll do this for you anytime,” I smirked as I spoke in a mischievous tone . “You are my precious little wifey after all . I don’t mind sweeping you up in my arms if it means making you happy . ”
“Hmph,” she snorted in an attempt to shake off her embarrassment . Though I couldn’t see her face, I was sure it had been dyed a shade of scarlet . “You never do seem to get sick of teasing me, do you?”
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What followed her retort was a whine . Not from her, but rather from the wolf two steps behind me . I sensed exasperation in his voice; it was almost like he was begging us to get a room, but as usual, I chose to ignore his complaints .
“Why did you choose not to have Lyuu’s people remain within the dungeon if your finances were in such a dire state?” asked Lefi .
“I thought about it, and it just doesn’t seem like something that would work . Lyuu’s old man only brought the tribe’s warriors with him, so about two thirds of their men . They’ve still got lots of family back home, and having an entire village suddenly move in sounds like a trainwreck waiting to happen . ”
There was also the fact that I wasn’t all that fond of living with a bunch of random people . I was more than willing to call Lyuu’s father an in-law given that I had ended up turning his daughter into one of my wives . But that was more of a formality than it was anything else . He was family, in name but I didn’t truly think of him that way . I had only known him for a grand total of three days, after all .
Physical proximity wasn’t even the issue . We had plenty of space . I just didn’t want to deal with them . Naturally, I was planning on lending a hand if anything ever happened to them, but that was it . Living with them was something I wanted to avoid . I just knew that it was going to be much more trouble than it was worth . Because moving them in would change how I lived my life . And that was something I had absolutely no intention of doing .
“I certainly see your point,” said Lefi . “And that is not even to mention their lack of strength . They were so frail that they would have perished before reaching the dungeon if you had not chosen to lend them your aid . ”
“Oh yeah, that reminds me . Why are the monsters around here so strong anyway? I never actually realized it until I saw a bit more of the world, but everything that lives in this forest is straight up overpowered, at least compared to what you see everywhere else . ”
“I believe the answer to that question can be found through an inspection of the differences between this land and any other . This forest houses a concentration of magical particles far greater than the norm . As the creatures that reside within go about their lives, they consume the forest’s bounty and breathe in its air . In doing so, they concentrate within themselves vast quantities of magical particles . As their bodies acclimate to the surplus of magic, they become more adaptable and less resistant to drastic changes in their physical forms . The cycle only continues as the strong consume the weak and take their magical energies for themselves . ”
Ohhh… So basically more magic = more OP . That actually makes a lot of sense .
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“Alright, I get that, but that then begs another question . Why does this place have so many magical particles to begin with?”
“A good question . That is not something I have ever thought about myself . ” Lefi paused for a moment to think . “But I do recall a tale told to me long ago by one of the older ancient dragons . ”
“Hmm… Sounds interesting . Do tell . ”
Wait, Lefi’s been alive for a helluva long time, right? So exactly how long ago is long ago? Like, are we talking a few hundred years? Maybe a thousand?
“He predicated it by stating that it was a tale that he had heard from his parents before they passed,” she said . “He told me that a god had once walked this land . And that this is where he perished . The magical energy within this so-called god dispersed throughout the land upon his death and came to form the forest we see around us . ”
Wait . So this is where GOD died? Holy shit . That’s an important plot point if I’ve ever heard one . Seriously, talk about hitting all the fantasy buttons .
“Wait, didn’t you say you’ve never seen any gods before? And that they probably didn’t actually exist?
“Yes, Yuki, but the world is vast . While I do consider myself rather knowledgeable, there is still much that I have not yet heard of, let alone seen for myself,” she said . “Still, I doubt that the creature that perished here was a true god, but rather, a monster so long-lived that it was revered as one . ”
“A monster revered as a god, huh? That’s an interesting thought . ”
Everyone pretty much thinks of monsters as harmful creatures that need to be removed . Going from that to something everyone worships is one helluva promotion if I’ve ever heard of one .
“Names and titles are often subject to change . I, for example, was born as Leficios and feared as the Supreme Dragon for generations . But now, I simply go by Lefi, the name you gave me . Given my own experiences, I certainly do think it possible for a monster to be considered a god . ” She leaned over to look me in the face as she smiled . “Those with shorter lives, creatures who take on forms like yours, remember creatures like us as legends . The simple act of living out our lives causes our names to be etched into history’s annals . And our deaths are no different . For they too bear great meaning to those who come after us . It certainly is a bizarre phenomenon . Life is quite a wonder, isn’t it?”
Carving your name into history by becoming a legend, huh? That’s a grandiose thought if I’ve ever heard one . But I mean, she is right . Life really does seem both weird and incredible if you think about it like that . Yeah . A wonderful life indeed .
“Well, if a long life and a lot of magic is all it takes to become a god, I’d say you’re well on your way . ” I grinned at her . “Give it another couple thousand years, and everyone will probably start worshipping you too . ”
“I suppose that would make you the man that stole God’s heart . That certainly does sound like a much more impressive title than ‘Demon Lord,’ doesn’t it?”
“Yeah, sounds like one I wouldn’t mind growing into . Carving out this world’s mythos by your side and leaving proof that we were here, living our lives, sounds like something I’d enjoy,” I laughed . “But if I want to be worth my salt, I’d better start working my way up the ladder, huh? Right now, I haven’t got much of a name to me . I’m just like any other insignificant demon lord in the middle of nowhere . But just you watch . Soon I’ll be the biggest baddie around . ”
“Good . Then I shall ascend to godhood as I wait for you to accomplish that exact feat . ”
After exchanging another pair of laughs, the two of us smiled at each other and continued on our journey .