IMTDIK 22

Chapter 22. 

You Want to Believe, Too

Grrr—.

The sound of a ferocious beast echoed from deep inside the lair. If anyone else had heard it, they would have undoubtedly described it as a chilling roar of fury. However, Ruri, standing inside the lair, knew what it meant.

It was Valdrova’s groan. She was in pain.

Instead of lying coiled as she should have been, Valdrova was sprawled flat on the floor. Her sharp claws scratched at the innocent ground as her body trembled uncontrollably.

“Ruri……” Valdrova carefully called her servant.

As always, Ruri answered calmly. “Yes.”

“Is there still… no sign of any monsters today?”

Ruri shook her head. “Unfortunately, that is correct.”

“I see… A difficult time has begun.” Valdrova cautiously raised herself up. Her mind felt as if it were walking through a dense fog with no end in sight.

Hoping to distract herself, even if only briefly, she asked, “What is… my fiancé doing right now?”

Ruri replied, “He is meeting with all the lords of the Royal Territory. Although, to be honest, it’s less of a meeting and more akin to threats. He’s warning those incompetent fools that he’ll reveal everything they’ve done wrong.”

“I see… It sounds like he’s doing well.” A strange smile appeared on Valdrova’s weary face. A look that was both happy and sad. It was an expression Ruri had rarely seen before Ferda came into her life.

“It seems Lord Ferda has figured something out.”

Valdrova’s expression stiffened. “Figured out what?”

“That you’ve been harming yourself, my lady. Last night, you struck your body so hard that the entire castle shook. It seems he has begun to suspect what you’ve been doing.”

“Is that so?”

“So please… this time, you must be more careful.”

“Thank you for letting me know.” Valdrova turned her head away and took a step back. “You’ve worked hard. You may go now.”

“…Yes.” Ruri bowed lightly and turned around. Her steps were not light. She already knew what Valdrova was going to do. She would ravage herself with the overwhelming power she couldn’t contain.

“Ruri.” Valdrova called her once more.

“Speak, my Lady.”

“No matter what happens… do not let my fiancé enter here. This is… an order.”

Her voice was majestic, but within it lay deep sorrow. Ruri could feel it. The specter of the Third Prince still lingered around her.

“Understood.” The loyal servant could do nothing but obey her master’s command.

Late that night, Ruri stood silently at the entrance to the lair.

“Kraaaargh!”

The faint roar echoed in her ears. Her hands, clasped politely in front of her, tightened their grip. She was forcing herself not to let her hands move elsewhere.

‘I mustn’t cover my ears.’ Ruri found that roar deeply unsettling. It wasn’t the sound of a warrior charging into battle, but the scream of a woman mourning the loss of her child. For Ruri, a loyal servant, having to listen helplessly to her master’s cries was unbearable.

‘There’s nothing I can do even if I go in.’ Ruri had worked hard to become a competent servant. She kept Valdrova’s castle in the best condition, ready to be used at any time. She constantly monitored political trends to ensure that her master would not fall behind when she returned. She lived every moment of the 24-hour day in service of Valdrova.

‘Even so… there are things I cannot do.’

The murderous aura that Valdrova released was something Ruri could not stop. All she could do was enter the lair after Valdrova’s self-harm had ended and treat her wounds. She had no way of preventing the event from happening in the first place.

“Kraaaargh!” The scream rang out again.

‘So I must listen.’

This was the punishment given to an incompetent servant who could only watch her master’s suffering.

At some point, Ruri’s hands, which had been gripping her dress, were clasped together. She recognized what that gesture was.

‘…Prayer?’

How absurd. Dragon Spawn did not believe in gods. Their gods were the dragons themselves. The great rulers of the continent, the Aspects, were living gods and idols. Ruri was no different. Silverwind, who had shared her blood, was her god. And Valdrova, too, was her god.

One was dead. The other was powerless. Ruri asked herself, ‘Then to whom am I supposed to pray?’ There was no answer.

She simply prayed, silently, to some unknown and unbelieved god.

Please. Please let someone end my Lady’s suffering.

It was then.

“What are you doing here?”

Ruri broke out of her prayer and lifted her head. The pale moonlight streamed through the window. In that faint glow stood a figure she knew all too well.

It was him. The man who had recklessly intruded into her Lady’s life.

“Go back,” she said coldly, as she always did.

“Sorry, but I can’t do that. The place behind you is where I need to go.”

The man who had been quiet for the past few days suddenly made such a demand. He must have realized that Valdrova was in agony right now.

‘He heard that sound? Even I can barely hear it…’

How could he have noticed it when it wasn’t even audible? Setting her doubts aside, Ruri repeated herself, “You cannot enter. That is my Lady’s command.”

“Did the Lady herself say she wouldn’t let me in?”

“Yes. She said she doesn’t want to see someone like you.”

She added words that had never been spoken, a lie that even surprised herself. That was how shaken she was.

“I stepped back yesterday, so today you step aside.”

“This isn’t a negotiation.”

“Neither is it for me.” Ferda stepped forward.

“Don’t move any further.” The silver light in Ruri’s eyes glimmered like moonlight. A sharp, white wind swirled around her body like blades. Ferda instinctively realized. The moment that wind touched him, his body would be sliced cleanly, like reeds in late autumn.

“I can stop it,” Ferda said.

“Stop what?”

“Your master—my fiancée’s self-harm.”

“…!” Ruri’s eyes widened momentarily. But she quickly regained her composure. “This isn’t something that can be resolved so easily. How can a mere mortal suppress the nature of a dragon?”

“I can.”

“No, you’re just seeing what you want to see.”

“Yes, I only see what I want and move forward.” He took another step. “That’s what life is, isn’t it?”

“I said stop!” The sharp wind around Ruri’s arm flew toward Ferda’s right hand.

Ferda’s arm jerked violently. His arm dangled loosely, as if it were barely attached.

Ruri was momentarily flustered. ‘I only hit him lightly…?’ The sharpness had dissipated just before impact, leaving only a heavy blow. At most, it should have caused a minor bruise.

“See?” But Ruri seized the moment. “This proves that you’re someone I can easily defeat. This is your last warning. Leave quietly.”

Ferda glanced at his dislocated arm. “…Is her command really that important?”

“I am a servant. I am obligated to obey my Lady’s orders.”

“I see.” When Ferda raised his head again, Ruri flinched in surprise. Ferda took another step forward. “In that case, make sure to cut me down this time.”

In his blue eyes was determination. Ruri prepared her wind blades once again.

“Do not risk your life on something meaningless.”

“You say that without even knowing the worth of what I’m trying to do.”

“You are nothing more than a mere human. How could someone like you solve what dragons, who have studied and sought answers through countless ages, couldn’t?”

It was something that made no sense. Mortals could not defeat the immortal. They were pitiful creatures who could die at a mere flick of a finger. It was their role to always live in gratitude for the mercy of the immortals. So how could such a mortal claim to solve the problems of the immortals?

“Did I not ask you once? Whether you believed that humans could suddenly attain enlightenment.”

“…”

“At that time, what did you answer?”

She knew the answer. But she didn’t want to respond. So Ferda answered instead. “You said it was because humans survive through flashes of insight that accumulated knowledge could never match.”

Again. This man was once again throwing her own words back at her.

Ruri, who had stood at a distance, now had only three steps left between them. Even if she just shot at him, his arm would be cut off. There wasn’t even time to adjust her strength.

Ruri’s hand trembled violently. The sharp winds that had swirled around her hand scattered.

“Why….” Ruri looked up at him. It was neither the usual expressionless face nor a face filled with contempt. “Why… do you keep coming closer?”

It was the face of a powerless child.

“It’s simple.” Ferda placed his hand on Ruri’s head. “If you truly intended to stop me, you would’ve done so already.”

Ruri’s physical capabilities were far superior to the weak Ferda by dozens of times. Knocking him unconscious or keeping him far away before he could even approach would have been no trouble at all. Instead of threatening him with wind magic or engaging in this verbal argument, she could’ve acted decisively.

“You also wanted to believe in what I believe in.” The miracle that mortals bring.

Ferda passed by Ruri and descended the stairs. Ruri couldn’t refute him and could only watch as he disappeared. The clicking sound of his shoes echoed as it gradually grew distant down the corridor.

‘It hurts like hell.’

Ruri’s deadly wind had left Ferda’s hand numb. The impact had traveled up to his shoulder, dislocating it entirely.

‘Dislocations… they’ve always been a frequent occurrence.’ He was used to resetting his bones.

Ferda grabbed his own arm and reset the bone back into place.

Crack!

“Ugh… haah…” He took a deep breath and composed himself. There was still work to do.

Ferda lifted his head and looked upward. A massive iron door came into view.

‘It feels… very different from usual.’ Ferda recalled the first time he had stood in front of this door. Back then, he had been weak and had not yet drunk the engagement elixir. And yet, now it felt even worse than it had back then. Standing before this door felt as if he were standing before the gates of hell. If he entered here, he would undoubtedly die.

Kroaaaaaaah—! A sound that chilled him to the bone. Even if he no longer feared dragons, their murderous intent hadn’t completely vanished.

‘A force befitting their might.’

Ferda opened the side door and stepped inside. The inside resembled an ordinary cave. It was a dark, dry, and surprisingly comfortable space.

“Ruri… why have you come here? I told you not to come here…” The words trailed off. It became clear that it wasn’t Ruri who had entered. The sound of her breathing heavily could be heard.

“Why… are you here?” The voice of the Sovereign trembled with bewilderment. “Why… at this time, have you come here?”

To that question, Ferda opened his mouth. “I will not say, ‘It is a pleasure to meet you.’” Ferda looked straight ahead. With his mortal vision, he couldn’t penetrate the darkness. “Because my night vision is too poor to see your face.”

“Leave here at once!” A roar laced with Dragon Fear shook the space. But it wasn’t enough to shake Ferda.

“Your Majesty, I have found a way to resolve your suffering.”

“I do not need it. Who said I desired such a thing from you?”

Ferda took another step forward. The sound of Valdrova shifting could be heard. She was retreating backward.

“I… I don’t want to hurt anyone. So please, do not come any closer!” Valdrova pleaded.

“That won’t do.” Ferda denied her request.

“Please….”

“I don’t care who dies or gets hurt.”

“Don’t come closer…”

“But I cannot stand by and watch you destroy yourself.”

Golden eyes glinted in the darkness.

“Did I not tell you not to come!!” The suppressed killing intent exploded.

With Valdrova’s ferocious roar, something pierced through the darkness. It was her claw. It flew straight at Ferda’s small frame.

Boom!

Her claw struck the spot where Ferda had been standing.

“Ah!” Valdrova came to her senses belatedly. But the water had already spilled.

“Ahh….” Valdrova let out a groan of despair. The ghost of the Third Prince whispered into her ears. Once again, you’ve killed your beloved. She fell into confusion.

The eternal being who soared the skies, the immortal Red Dragon Valdrova, trembled as her voice quavered. “I… I didn’t mean for this….”

Her murderous aura, which had been aimed outward, now enveloped her own body. From self-hatred to the verge of a rampage.

But at that moment, something stood between her claws. It was Ferda.

Standing still in that spot, he looked down at Valdrova’s claw.

“Thank you.” He spoke. “I didn’t think you would extend your hand to me before I even asked.”

The moment Ferda had been waiting for had come. He placed his hand on Valdrova’s claw.

“Ferda, there is a rational reason why Valdrova could accept you.” Mori explained to Ferda. “Ferda, your Red Circle spun because of the emotions you felt toward the Red Dragon Valdrova, correct?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“The Blue Circle is called ‘Cold Mana’ because it provides consistent effects in all magic. On the other hand, the Red Circle is specialized, with significant differences depending on the magic’s nature and creation intent. This is because the mana contains emotions rather than being purely neutral.”

He already knew this. It was why Ferda’s destructive magic was far stronger than that of other mages.

“Red Circles are usually formed through negative emotions. That’s why touching that mana is prohibited.”

“Because it can lead to mental corruption.”

Mori nodded. “If your mana is created from your emotions toward the dragon, then injecting that mana into the dragon could produce an effect.”

Ferda thought it was absurd. Resolve things with mana based on emotions he didn’t even understand himself?

“Is there no other way?”

Mori shook her head firmly. There was only one possibility left for him.

“I see…” Then he had no choice but to trust it.

Ferda released his mana. He poured all his focus into channeling it from his fingertips into Valdrova’s skin.

“What are you doing?” Valdrova, who had asked that question, soon felt something stirring inside her. When that unknown force reached her heart, her golden eyes widened.

“This… what is this?” The voice that had been distorted with pain now sounded clearer. “The turmoil within me… the boiling rage… it’s disappearing. Ferda, what is this?”

“I don’t know either.” Ferda softly silenced her. “But if this benefits you, then please, just accept my mana.”

“Understood…”

Valdrova focused on the changes within her through her skin. The wild beating of her heart began to subside. The uncontrollable rage that had dominated her started to fade. The destructive impulses, the essence of her being—everything was settling under the name of peace.

‘It seems the hypothesis was correct.’

The mana produced by Ferda’s Red Circle could suppress Valdrova’s bloodlust.

‘I can do something for her.’ If he could suppress her bloodlust, there would be no need for her to destroy herself anymore. ‘And… she wouldn’t have to suffer.’ She wouldn’t have to dig up her painful past to torment herself.

‘For that… I need to inject as much of my mana as possible.’

Meanwhile, the Red Circle in Ferda’s core was spinning violently. The mana it was producing was several times faster than usual. Ferda released this mana without holding back, channeling it toward Valdrova’s skin.

“Ferda…!” Valdrova cried out in alarm. “You’re bleeding!”

Blood trickled from Ferda’s nose. Mana burnout had begun.

“Stop now. I’m fine as I am!”

Normally, Ferda would have stopped by now, but not this time. ‘Just a little more….’ He pushed himself to the very limit, giving her everything he had. Ferda didn’t stop until she was completely stable. Even if it meant dying in the process.

“Ah….”

In the end, he reached his limit. His vision became blurry, as if a fog had rolled in. Ferda knew he would be bedridden for days, completely drained of strength.

‘I was prepared for this.’ So he had no regrets about his reckless decision.

Ferda was ready to close his eyes. But then. He felt something moving beneath his palm, where he had been touching her. The movement delivered one piece of information.

‘She’s getting smaller?’

It wasn’t his imagination. The rough and tough dragon scales were becoming softer and shrinking. Soon, they transformed into something resembling a human hand.

‘Small.’ So small that it couldn’t even fully cover Ferda’s hand. ‘And soft.’

These sensations made Ferda’s heart race like never before.

‘She’s polymorphing into a human.’

It was the moment he could finally see her true face.

“Why…” A sweet voice, tinged with moisture. She spoke in a voice that seemed on the verge of tears. “Why didn’t you listen to me…?”

A delicate question uncharacteristic of Valdrova. But even if she asked, her voice didn’t reach Ferda’s ears. His mind was pushed to its very limits, barely able to hold onto consciousness. His blurry vision struggled to focus.

What kept him holding on was a powerful desire. ‘No matter what…’ And a selfish longing. ‘I want to see her.’

Ferda mustered the last remnants of his strength. He tightened his grip on her hand, entwining their fingers. Then, he grabbed her waist and pulled her closer.

Through his blurred focus, a red-haired woman came into view.

“Ah.” Ferda let out a gasp.

That sound contained everything he was feeling. A sigh of regret for his shallow imagination and arrogance. And a sense of awe, realizing that this world contained beauty beyond his imagination.

“Now I can finally see you.” Ferda smiled.

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, my heart.”