Willow Wind Garden, Private Room…
"—The Azurefell Family is the most mysterious of the Four Great Families," Rotell explained. Trili and Atllin sat across from her, with Lilit standing up, positioned slightly in the back...
Sunlight filtered through hanging vines, and the quiet sound of flowing water softened the space. The private room opened up directly into a garden, with the pale green curtains drifting lazily in the breeze.
Trili rested her elbow against the table as she listened.
"Like the other great families," Rotell continued, "they arrived on the Cross Continent roughly one thousand years ago during the initial migration. Each of the four families occupies one of the cardinal directions in the capital, and the Azurefell Family is located in the northern district!"
She paused briefly before continuing.
"The Azurefell bloodline is… unusual, even among the great families. From the perspective of the Royal Family, we keep the closest eye on them. Unlike the other three, their inheritance isn't passed on by word of mouth. Instead, it's said to have been 'woven' directly into their bloodline. This was done by something they call the 'Guardian'. This alone is enough to warrant our attention, but they also have the strangest generational cycle of the four great families, making it difficult to predict their size in the next one hundred years.
Trili shifted slightly in her seat.
She had heard of this 'Guardian' before coming here…
It was a special existence that the elders of the Dragon Clan had already looked into. She couldn't remember their conclusion, but it should have something to do with the most troublesome of the twelve beast kings, the eleventh beast king.
But she naturally wouldn't tell Rotell this…
Rotell continued, "As a member of the Azurefell family grows, they gradually unlock a sequence of inherited abilities. The most notable among these are chain-based weapon techniques unique to each person, sword-dance skills, a more dexterous body, and a rudimentary domain."
Atllin, from across the table, frowned slightly.
Were those really things that could be unlocked through a bloodline?
One had to know that a 'rudimentary domain' was something that even he had barely managed to learn.
Rotell continued without pausing.
"The family itself is divided into six unique branches. They are… Moon, Sun, Fire, Water, Wind, and Earth. The Moon branch represents the main family, and the Sun branch is tied directly to the Guardian and its 'chosen disciples'. The remaining branches specialize in certain aspects of the bloodline's inheritance, for example, a member of the fire branch would specialize in the family's forging skills, and a member of the water branch would specialize in the sword-dance technique. I don't know the specifics, but it vaguely follows that pattern."
She leaned back slightly in her seat.
"Beyond the Guardian, there's also the Patriarch. He's a reclusive old man. His true strength is unknown, and no one can say for certain whether he or the Guardian is stronger, but most people suspect the patriarch holds the advantage. Regardless, one thing is certain, and that is that every member of the Azurefell Family relies on the Guardian to some extent. This should include the patriarch, too. It isn't just an external protector; it's intertwined with the family's foundation. If the patriarch stands at the top, then the Guardian should stand at the root."
The room fell quiet.
Each of the dragons had their own thoughts when hearing this.
Continuing…
"The Azurefell family also possesses a rare hereditary physique," Rotell went on to say. "It's called the 'Lunar Echo Physique', and it's considered one of the strongest healing-type physiques known throughout the world! According to my family's records, it was a direct 'gift' from the Guardian itself."
This 'gift' had been given a very long time ago…
Trili furrowed her brows.
"This generation produced twins who inherited the Lunar Echo Physique. The power was split between them, creating a 'giver' and a 'taker'."
"This had never happened before," Rotell continued. "It was a miracle in itself… but it immediately became a problem. The twins needed to remain together to fully utilize their physique, but their family, for whatever reason, made this very difficult. To make things even worse, one of them received guidance directly from the Guardian, but the other did not…"
She paused.
Rotell frowned as if suddenly thinking about something.
"…Despite being 'separated', the twins were still said to be extremely close."
She paused again, but, before she could continue—
Trili asked carefully, "…Didn't I hear that the twins went missing?"
Rotell nodded. "Yes, that's right. They—"
Tock! The door suddenly slid open.
Everyone turned.
From outside, an old dragon guard staggered into the pavilion, visibly exhausted. A small girl was slung over his shoulder. she flailed wildly and shouted in protest!
The tranquil atmosphere was instantly shattered.
He snorted, looked around, then pulled Popo off his shoulder and held her up by the foot.
—!
Popo dangled upside down with her arms crossed, her cheeks pitifully puffed out…
"I wasn't doing anything wrong!"
- Dangling…
Rotell: "..."
Trili: "..."
- Dangling…
Popo: "..."
"I really was being good!"
"…I mean it!"
"Why don't you believe me…!"
Popo protested loudly, twisting her body and disturbing the dragon guard's balance.
Trili let out a long, tired sigh. "Why can't either of you ever sit still…"
Popo wiggled harder! "Because sitting is boring! Big brothers like that, too!"
The guard finally lost his patience.
With a 'not so kind' motion, he dropped Popo on the floor, bowed, and retreated as if escaping.
Rotell rubbed her temples.
Over the past few days, these dragons had become increasingly more difficult to deal with!
The two troublemakers were obvious enough, with Rifrit constantly running away to pick fights, and Popo disappearing to pick up cute girls! Yes, these two siblings shared a lot of their bad habits! Putting them aside, Lilit was an enigma, and Atllin…
Just thinking about it, Rotell's jaw clenched!
This man was dangerous in a completely different way!
He was cold on the surface, but unnaturally 'friendly' underneath! Just the other day he had swaggered straight into the female side of a bathhouse without a single ounce of hesitation! If Lilit hadn't dragged him away, an action no normal person would even dare do, it would've turned into a huge incident!
What golden genius, what future dragon emperor? He was an idiot with no common sense!
…But she would never say that out loud, so she could only think about it.
"…Where's Rifrit?" Rotell asked instead.
Trili shrugged her shoulders. "He's gone again. Honestly, it's almost as hard to keep track of him as it is with Popo. I didn't expect this either…" She gave Rotell an apologetic look.
Popo snorted from the side. "Girls!"
This was what Rifrit had told her…
"…Girls?" Trili asked, confused, but just a moment later, it clicked, and her face fell, so she flatly repeated the word, "Girls…" Popo probably didn't understand what that meant. Unfortunately, Rotell did. She closed her eyes to avoid the cringe.
She really hoped Rifrit wouldn't do anything irreversible.
Popo hopped onto a chair. "Big brother's been running away a lot! He says he's 'searching for his destiny!'"
"That's not reassuring," Trili muttered to herself.
Time passed quietly.
Some time later, Trili spoke again, her voice softer but still clear. "…What about the green-haired girl from the other day? Did you find out who she was?" This was directed at Lilit.
Rotell's eyes flashed from the side.
"After the discussion in the palace, I looked into the recorded heroes," Lilit answered in a cold, almost androgynous voice. "She fits the description of the northern hero." He turned to Rotell. "We've met the three of you, but the other two haven't appeared. They couldn't have just refused our invitation, right? From what I've heard, there is a problem, but… why would she be walking the streets so openly if things were really like the rumours?"
In his head, Petra—or the little green-haired girl's behaviour just didn't make sense.
Rotell paused.
Her expression changed, but just slightly.
"That child?" she said dismissively. "She's… just a troublemaker." That was all she could say…
Rotell sighed. "It's best if you just pretend that she doesn't exist. As for the eastern regions Heavens Chosen, well… Try to forget about her for now too…" She mumbled something before politely adding, "The whole situation is slightly off..."
"I can understand why you didn't know about her. That little girl really is the northern regions' Heavens Chosen, or at least, the one most people believe is the hero." She lightly tapped the table. "There aren't any other candidates. She seemed to have somehow received the title by default, but…."
Rotell sighed.
"She was forced to take the title," Rotell continued….
"She's rather famous for refusing the title, too. From what I know, there should be someone behind the scenes pushing for it. There was a long period where she refused to even appear, and during this period, the rumors about her only continued to increase exponentially. Before she was rumored to be the missing hero, she basically didn't exist. It's hard to believe that her reputation spread so quickly without someone influencing it from behind." Rotell moved a strand of loose hair behind her ear. "Some stuff happened, and now she has a huge bounty on her head. Fortunately, at this point, unless someone has at least a fifth-order cultivation base, no one should be her match." Rotell made this judgment from Petras rumored battle with 'Otan the Earth Eater'. That old man was not a small character…
Mm, ok, he was a small character…
But not in the background lore!
Lilith frowned. "Fifth order? That's ridiculous. That little girl should have just entered the third order, right? From what I know, even if the Heroes are all super elite cultivation geniuses, none of them should be able to clear that gap."
This was true—
But Petra couldn't be judged by logic!
Rotell gave a dry smile. "Exactly. That's why her reputation has only continued to snowball…"
"Ah!" Popo's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh! Oh-oh-oh! I know her! I know her!"
Everyone turned to Popo.
"She's a big fatty like me!" Popo declared proudly!
Silence…
She probably meant a glutton…
Popo added, "Her name is Petra, and we're best friends!"
Lilit twitched at the name 'Petra', and slowly, his eyes narrowed. "…Petra?" This name clearly meant something to him, but aside from Atllin, none of the others present realized this.
Popo nodded vigorously.
"That little girl's super strong! She didn't even flinch when I used my Law of Life! Right in her face!"
Atllin's brows furrowed. He couldn't tell if she was joking…
Popo leaned forward excitedly. "She's definitely got a very pure dragon bloodline, too! I think—"
* * *
"—I think she doesn't know her place!" Bang!
A heavy mug slammed against the tavern table.
"Well said, brother Red!"
Boisterous laughter erupted around the room.
The tavern was thick with the smell of smoke and steel. Lanternlight shimmered against metal cups and greasy plates. Somewhere, someone was singing in broken notes, and somewhere else, someone was losing a lot of money! It was not a good place to be, but that didn't seem to stop these two lowlifes…
Seated at a table to the side, Rifrit drank with a red face. Across from him, already half sprawled out across the table, was the self-proclaimed 'leader' of a minor 'mercenary group'.
If Petra were here, she would definitely recognise him.
He had spiky red hair that jutted out in every direction. His grin was wide and careless, and his sword rested loosely to the side.
Behind him stood his 'cannon fodder crew'"
There was a tall, bulky middle-aged man in worn-down leather armor, standing stiffly like he was 'bracing for impact', and a woman in a robe far too 'revealing' to be practical, standing with her arms crossed tightly over her large chest, her eyes flickering around as if regretting every decision she had ever made. These two were the background characters of a background character…
Mm, If Anchor and Vellina were drawn by a child, that was what they looked like!
Bang! The hooligan-like man slammed his mug down!
"Those damn nobles!" he barked. "All pride, and no bite! They can't even hold down their drinks! Ha!!"
Rifrit snorted alongside him!
"Tell me about it, brother! I understand, I understand!"
"It's not just that!" the hooligan muttered. "It's all about the attitude! The attitude! You know what I mean, right, brother red? You get me!? Those guys get to act as if the world revolves around them by just existing! By just standing there and doing nothing!"
Rifrit leaned back, crossing one leg over the other.
"They look at you like you're dirt! Right! I get it!" His tail flickered beneath the table.
The red-haired hooligan leaned forward.
"Ah ha! So, you've got one too, huh? Some stuck-up princesses whose pestering ya?"
Rifrit's jaw imperceptibly tightened. He still remembered the way Rotell looked down on him at the docks! "…Something like that," he said emotionally.
"They think just because they've got a title, they're untouchable," the hooligan continued. "Women like that need to be reminded! They really do!"
The surrounding men all roared in agreement!
Rifrit faintly smirked.
"Hay hay! Against her, you wouldn't last five seconds!"
The hooligan blinked in disbelief. "Seriously? What kind of monster are you thinking about!"
Rifrit continued, "She'd cut you down before you finished your first insult!"
"…Ah? Seriously!? She must be a beast!"
"Pfft! hahaha! She definitely acts like one!" They both burst out laughing!
Time passed, and soon, more drinks arrived. The conversation shifted to complaints about nobles, women, and how unfair the world was! These two, despite their massive disparity in strength, seem to get along disturbingly well!
Then Rifrit leaned in. "So, if not stuck-up princesses, what's your type then, good brother?"
The hooligan paused.
His eyes gleamed as a certain little monster flashed in his mind.
"You see, brother red… There's this girl. Ah, she's not exactly a love interest, but…"
Rifrit grinned. "Ah! Now we're talking! Come on, tell me!"
"She doesn't care about status," he continued. "She doesn't even care about danger, no, she just does whatever she wants!
"Free spirited, I get it, I get it!" Rifrit laughed! "Feisty, yeah?" he asked with a flicker in his eyes.
"Indeed!"
"Fearless?"
"Naturally!"
"Talented?"
"She's a monster in this generation!"
"Strong?"
"Unbeatable!"
"Tall?"
"Well, erm, no..."
"…Medium then?" Rifrit slowly took a drink.
"…Small." The hooligan eventually answered, his eyes turning away slightly.
"Small…? How small?"
"…Very small." The hooligan hesitated.
"…How very?"
Hooligan: "…"
Rifrit: "…"
Rifrit set his mug down. "How old…?"
"Hmm, about eight?"
Silence…
One second…
Two seconds…
Three seconds…
"...My friend." Rifrit finally spoke in a low voice.
"Yes, Brother Red?"
"...That's a child." Rifrit frowned.
"Ah?"
Rifrit: "…"
Hooligan: "…"
The silence was deafening…
Refrit stared at him. "That's a kid, you're hyping up a kid…"
The hooligan blinked rapidly, genuinely confused.
"No-no-no! It's not a love thing! She's like, like a rival! She's really terrifying!" He desperately clarified, "She's super strong, doesn't flinch, and even haunts my dreams! She's got these big black eyes, and every time she looks at you, it feels like she's dissecting you from the inside out!"
"…That's just weird." Rifrit leaned back and looked at his new brother with a deeply concerned gaze.
"Brother Red! Not even you would survive if you faced her!" The hooligan looked uncomfortable for the first time that night, but he had to say it!
"…Maybe we're talking about two different things," Rifrit mumbled as he looked away.
Hooligan: "…"
-
One week later…
* * *