Chapter 58
The dragon tribesmen were astonished at seeing the giant, white pink, dragon descends into the ravine . Then, to their further shock, a human climbs down from that dragon’s back . Following after is a kitten like dragon that gigantifies as it climbs off the back of the larger dragon’s waist .
Regardless, Asher-san glares at the approaching, curious, dragon tribesmen . She’s warning them that she won’t forgive them from coming closer . They really were in the way when she fought against the Decaying Dragon .
With a wry smile, I approach the Decaying Dragon .
“Gururu,” it growls at me in open vigilance . Or maybe I should say, it hurls a fireball at me!
The fireball, however, explodes and vanishes upon crashing against Nymia’s wind barrier . It didn’t reach us .
Looks like Nymia’s barrier can even ward off that .
The dragon tribe can’t land a strike against the child of a dragon . Eetto, the ancient dragon tribe really is in a different league .
“Eetto, I want to talk with you . ”
Can this reason departed Decaying Dragon even understand words? This is a fundamental problem, there can’t be a conversation if words can’t be communicated, after all .
I hold up both my hands to show I’m not hostile . Regardless, the Decaying Dragon roars out . It’s remaining vigilant against us .
I can understand why it’s behaving that way . Not only was it fighting against us not too long ago, the number of gigantic dragons here now numbers two .
“Please, let’s talk . ”
I desperately give a smile to the ghastly and discomforting Decaying Dragon before my eyes .
Regardless, it remains vigilant and backs away . Then, it mercilessly hurls another fireball at us . Even though its attacks are useless against Nymia, it’s still trying to intimidate us .
When we move closer, the Decaying Dragon backs away . As such, I have no choice but to stop trying to close the distance .
Incidentally, even after all this time, I’m still wracking my head over how I’m going to even have a conversation with the Decaying Dragon . Nymia, Old Sleigstar, and Asher-san are all ancient dragons who can both read my heart and speak the human language . However, I’ve never heard of a flying dragon being able to talk the human language .
“In times like these, the dragon heart, nyan . ”
“What’s the dragon heart?”
“Nyan, it’s consciously circulating dragon spirit around your consciousness, nyan . ”
I don’t get what Nymia is saying . Consciously circulate around my consciousness, what?
Even though I’m worried, I refine dragon spirit, anyway . I then feel sympathy for the Decaying Dragon and concentrate on that .
[Who are you?]
Then, out of nowhere, I feel as though there’s a rough voice without hearing one .
[You who are accompanied by such a dreadful dragon, who are you?]
I stare into the red lights emitting from the Decaying Dragon’s hollowed out eyes . By concentrating really closely on it, something like the voice of its consciousness projects towards me .
Can Nymia also hear it? I turn towards her .
“The dragon’s heart, nyan . Onii-chan is hearing the Decaying Dragon’s heart, nyan . ”
“I see . ”
The Decaying Dragon can’t speak with its throat, not with it having rotted out and collapsed from its chin . Still, looks like I can understand it .
“I am Ernea Isu, good to meet you . For some reason, you look really sad to me . ”
I continue on and tell it how I feel .
[Oooh, are you able to hear this one’s heart?]
“Yes, I can hear it . We wish to speak with you . Would you please stop attacking us?”
[Ooh, how frustrating . Why does this one’s heart reach you and not that other person?]
What’s this about? Both Nymia and I tilt out heads .
[Ahhh, if only this one’s heart could have reached that person, this one would not have become cursed . ]
The Decaying Dragon hurls a fireball at us while saying, [Frustrating, how frustrating . ] However, the attack is blocked by Nymia’s barrier and explodes .
“Please calm down . Who is that person you keep mentioning?”
I call out to the Decaying Dragon over the ground shaking explosion created by its fireball .
[My beloved . If only this one could meet that person again…”
His wife? Child? Did he die and end up cursed into become a Decaying Dragon because he longed to meet someone dear that he couldn’t meet anymore?
Sorrowful wails escape the Decaying Dragon, [Ohh, ohh . ] For some reason, my chest feels like it’s being crushed .
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“Anoo, is there anything I can do to help?”
Something I can do . Maybe I can deliver the Decaying Dragon’s feelings to his important person? If his feelings are delivered, won’t he be able to die and pass on without regrets?
[Curious child of the human tribe, do you sympathize with my unsightly self?]
“I wonder if it’s sympathy . I just want to do what I can . ”
[Ahh, if only I could communicate with that person’s heart in this manner . ]
Tear like fluid seeps from within the Decaying Dragon’s hollowed eyes .
“Who is that person?”
I take a step closer to the lamenting Decaying Dragon . He doesn’t step back, nor does he hurl another fireball .
[A daughter of the dragon tribesmen, such is this one’s beloved . ]
Mumumu, could this Decaying Dragon perhaps have fallen in love with a woman of the dragon tribesmen while she was a dragon?
“So you came to like a person of the dragon tribesmen?”
[This one was foolish . Why did this one become fond of that person? Dragons and people are by nature incompatible existences . ]
I suppose the dragon tribe and dragon tribesmen are beings that are near and far . Even though the dragon tribesmen are a tribe with close ties to dragons, their appearances are too different . While they both live on Dragon’s Peak, there’s a large wall that can’t be crossed .
“Excuse me for asking, but where could I find that person?”
If she lives in a nearby village, Nymia might be able to fly him there .
[This one is no longer able to meet that person . Not with this one’s current appearance . ]
The Decaying Dragon takes in its horrendously rotted appearance and groans out in sorrow .
“How about… How about giving something that represents your feelings to that person?”
[That person is unable to understand this one’s affection . She was a very frail person . ]
The Decaying Dragon begins to tell me of a time when he was still a dragon .
In a section of Dragon’s Peak, he came across a girl of the dragon tribesmen in a sunny flower garden . She was a frail sickly girl who although was surprised by the arrival of a dragon flying across the sky, was unable to run away .
The dragon, finding interest in the girl of the dragon tribesman, drew closer . Towards the dragon who approached without hostility, she gave a smile that sparkled brighter than a flower in full bloom . Afterwards, the dragon and girl often met in that flower garden .
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However, while the dragon tribe and dragon tribesmen appear to be close, they are two very distinct tribes with a vast gap between them . The dragon’s feelings were unable to reach the girl .
One day, when the dragon went to the flower garden, he was attacked by men of the dragon tribesmen . They cried out that they would protect the girl and drove the dragon away .
The girl’s expression remained strong as she watched the flying dragon . The dragon thought they had a good relationship with one another, one that could have even been considered affectionate . Regardless, he was crushed by the harsh truth .
The dragon, mortally wounded by the dragon tribesmen, fled . Then, as his death fell upon him, his regret and hatred cursed him into becoming a decaying dragon .
A nauseating coldness fills my chest after hearing the Decaying Dragon’s story and tears gather at my eyes .
[Tis a boring tale . After all, this one is a dragon while that person is a human[1] . This one was permitted to approach her for the sake of being killed . This one was careless . ]
Dragon scales, bones, and skin can be made into very durable armor . As for the meat, it is of the highest quality . This applies even among the dragon tribesmen .
However, in my opinion,
A frail woman of the dragon tribesmen was used as bait to lure a dragon? The dragon tribesmen using a woman of their tribe as something like bait doesn’t seem all that likely . One wrong step could end with her being brutally killed . A flying dragon could end everything by attacking from the sky without even needing to get close . There absolutely must be a reason why those men of the dragon tribesmen appeared there .
The Decaying Dragon, upon hearing my opinion, looks up at the sky and roars out . [Detestable . Detestable . Those detestable ones tore this one and that person apart . ]
Damn, his hatred went in a different direction . What should I do?
“Nyan will punish the bad people, nyan . ”
Nymia sympathizes as she growls out .
[Ohhh, have you inherited this one’s will?]
“Nyan understands oji-chan’s feelings very much, nyan . Nyan too has a person as a friend, nyan . People and dragons can talk with their hearts, nyan . ”
That’s true, Nymia does have quite the wonderful relationship with Priscillchan . Although, that might be why the story of the Decaying Dragon and the dragon tribesman couldn’t be heard by others .
[There is one who carries the same aspirations as this one . ]
The Decaying Dragon’s hostility and desire to fight have vanished .
[Truly, if you will, this one passes his desires to you . For those of you who are tied together by the bond between person and dragon, please deliver this one’s affections to that person . ]
With those words, the Corrupt Dragon thrusts his arm into his own chest . The abruptness of it shock me and Nymia .
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Goburi, a massive amount of grey blood spills from the Decaying Dragon’s body . He then, slowly, pulls out his arm . Clasped within his claws is a glittering, seven colored, orb .
[Please, take this to that person . ]
The Decaying Dragon presents the orb to us .
“A Dragon’s Gem, the crystallization of a dragon’s soul, nyan . We accept, nyan . ”
Nymia pushes me from behind and I approach the Decaying Dragon .
“Don’t touch the Decaying Dragon, nyan . Decaying Dragon’s corrode everything, nyan . ”
Uwaa, I flinch . Don’t tell me something like that now .
The Decaying Dragon loses his regeneration . Dara dara, his skin and scales melt off his body .
I cautiously approach the Decaying Dragon’s outstretched paw . His limbs are already coming apart and meat splatters off of his arms .
Although the rotted stench attacks my nose, I endure and keep my expression calm . Showing a disgusted face would be mean to the Decaying Dragon .
I, while sometimes leaping over grey blood and avoiding the violet smoke steaming out from his body due to his skin separating from his flesh, accept the Dragon’s Gem . It is about the size of two fists .
I give a resolute nod and say, “I will definitely deliver this to that person of the dragon tribesmen . ”
[Curious boy, this one entrusts you with his feelings . ]
With those words, the Decaying Dragon sinks into the ground .
The red light within the hollows of the Decaying Dragon’s eyes quietly disappear . Then, his scales become unstuck, his skin melts, and the rotted meat dissolves .
The Decaying Dragon melts into the white ash covered ground before our eyes . In the end, even his bones crumble and a wind blowing through the ravine disperses the dust .
I received an important request from the Decaying Dragon . As promised, I will deliver it to that person of the dragon tribesmen .
“The Dragon’s Gem is an incredible thing, nyan . It’s filled with a dragon’s vitality and desires, nyan . ”
Nymia, too, is deeply moved as she gazes at the Dragon’s Gem .
From the glittering, rainbow, Dragon’s Gem in my hands, I feel a powerful, yet gentle, surge of the dragon vein .
“Well then, shall we go deliver this?”
With those words, we walk towards the far off dragon tribesmen to ask about the situation .
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