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Chapter 224: Ancient Dragon Ignisia (3)
The Oldest Things.
That was the name given to the beings of the Forbidden Lands.
Ignisia looked at Ketal.
"In a way, you're one of the oldest things as well."
"I haven't lived long enough to be called that."
Of course, he had lived for a long time.
He had lived in the White Snowfield where the concept of time was distorted, but not to the extent that he couldn't feel it.
However, when he first appeared in the White Snowfield, the monsters already existed.
"Maybe it means your ancestors settled there? As I said, it's a very old story, so I don't know the details. But we certainly called you that."
She had also heard it as a story.
She had lived a long life as an ancient dragon, but the Forbidden Lands had existed long before her.
"The Oldest Things."
That was the essence of the Forbidden Lands.
So just how ancient were the beings of the Forbidden Lands?
Were they older than gods and demons?
Ketal stroked his chin.
Ignisia continued.
"Anyway, the Wandering Merchant is also one of the oldest things. But it wasn't particularly hostile to the world. That's why it was able to make deals with the gods and roam the world without much restriction."
"Is that so."
The Wandering Merchant seemed to know about Ketal.
It made sense if they shared the same roots.
Ignisia spoke.
"The Wandering Merchant is a special existence. It was known to be the only one among the oldest things that could communicate and interact. ...At least until now."
With Ketal's appearance, it was no longer the only one.
"If it made deals with the gods, the relationship between the Wandering Merchant and the gods must not be bad."
"Probably."
"But I've heard there was a conflict between the gods and the Forbidden Lands."
"Ah."
Ignisia nodded as if she understood.
"Long ago. I've heard there was such a thing. It was said to be quite a fierce battle. The Wandering Merchant wasn't involved in that war, though? That's probably why it can roam the world freely."
"Was it the gods who invaded? Or did the Forbidden Lands come out?"
Who initiated the war?
Which side attacked, and which side defended?
At this pointed question, Ignisia hesitated.
"That... I'm not sure about."
"Even an ancient dragon doesn't know?"
"The fact that a war happened is information only known to ancient dragons. The younger ones don't know at all."
It was that old and thoroughly concealed.
If the ancient dragons disappeared, it would truly become a forgotten war.
"But... there are a few things I can say for sure."
The gods and the oldest things.
The two opposed each other.
And, that era was before the War of Gods and Demons.
This piqued Ketal's interest.
"I thought this world belonged to the demons before the War of Gods and Demons."
"So did I. It's a contradiction. That's why there are various speculations among the ancient dragons. It's hard to say anything for certain."
"I see."
Ketal nodded, organizing the information he had obtained.
"Oh, by the way. You mentioned you were the architect of the Tower of Magic. Do you know the Master of the Tower?"
"I do. I helped with the design when the old tower was built."
"Oh, really. You must be close with the Master of the Tower."
"Close... well, yes."
Ignisia's expression was ambiguous as she said this.
She looked somewhat prideful, as if she didn't want to talk about the subject further.
Ketal didn't press her on it.
"Are you satisfied now?"
"Quite. Thank you."
"It's a deal, so it's fine. Now, can I ask a question?"
Ignisia's eyes sparkled.
Ketal smiled slightly.
"Go ahead. What are you curious about?"
Ignisia eagerly asked several questions.
How long had Ketal stayed in the White Snowfield?
What kind of people were the Barbarians of the White Snowfield?
Why couldn't they handle mysteries?
What had he done there?
These were similar to the questions that Milena, Arkamis, and Aquaz had asked before. Ketal answered them all.
"I don't know how long I stayed in the White Snowfield. Time doesn't mean anything there. But it was a very, very long time."
"The Barbarians are ignorant and foolish. As far as I know, they're even more ignorant than the ones outside."
"I was expanding my territory there, looking for a way out. In the process, I also clashed with the monsters the emperor mentioned."
"Mysteries don't exist there in the first place. There were forces that used alien powers, but they weren't what you'd call mysteries."
Ignisia listened intently to each of these stories.
She let out a small exclamation.
"I see..."
She was an ancient dragon.
She knew much of the world.
But even she didn't know about the Forbidden Lands or the White Snowfield.
Each word from Ketal was a fresh stimulus to her.
It was information worth more than gold, something one could not obtain even for a fortune.
She would have liked to continue asking questions for hours if it were up to her.
But Ignisia suppressed that desire.
Even with the information she had already received, it was more than enough—almost overwhelming.
Any more, and her conscience would begin to prick at her.
So, she prepared to steer the conversation toward the main topic.
Ignisia took a moment to catch her breath.
As a dragon, as a being of the world, there was a question she had to ask this presence from the Forbidden Lands.
"Are you our enemy?"
The beings of the Forbidden Lands.
They were gradually revealing themselves to the world.
And each time, they caused chaos.
Where did Ketal stand?
Was he neutral like the Wandering Merchant, or was he an enemy like the other beings of the Forbidden Lands?
Ketal answered.
"I am not your enemy. If anything, I am closer to being an ally."
What he desired was a fantasy world.
He held a fondness for all the beings within it.
"If you do not see me as an enemy, then I am not."
"...So what do you think of the Forbidden Lands?"
"They're terrible. I never want to see them again."
Ketal shook his head with a look of disgust.
It was a genuinely repulsed expression.
"I see."
Ignisia made her conclusion.
Ketal was on their side.
It was hard to understand how a being from the Forbidden Lands could be an ally to those of the surface, but there was too much evidence to deny his words.
Ignisia looked at Ketal’s wrist.
The black bracelet.
It was a holy relic of Kalosia.
The fact that he possessed it meant that Kalosia had personally met and acknowledged Ketal.
But that wasn't all.
Ketal was a contractor of a highest-ranking spirit.
Yet, Ketal had very little mystical energy.
Combined with his unique personal characteristics, it would have been impossible to form a contract through normal means.
This led to only one conclusion.
The Spirit God had personally facilitated the contract.
To confirm, Ignisia asked,
"Have you been to the Elven Sanctuary?"
"I went there recently. I also traveled to the Spirit World through the High Elf Queen."
"Just as I thought... Is Karin doing well?"
"She seems to be doing fine. You know her?"
"We have a connection."
Karin had mentioned knowing some dragons.
It seemed Ignisia was one of them.
The God of Lies and Deceit, Kalosia, and the Spirit God, Beatrice, had personally met Ketal, gifting him a holy relic and a spirit.
This was a clear sign of trust.
If they trusted him, then Ignisia could too.
Ignisia muttered to herself, surprised.
"A being from the Forbidden Lands is on friendly terms with us... How strange. Are the other Barbarians like you?"
"Absolutely not. I am the exception."
"Oh, I see."
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Ketal immediately denied it.
Her main doubts had been resolved.
Ignisia took a deep breath.
"Then I have one last question."
The most primal and savage question.
In some ways, the most important one.
How strong was Ketal in the White Snowfield?
And from his perspective, how strong was she in that place?
Just as she was about to ask him, a sound rang out.
A tearing of space.
The Wandering Merchant appeared.
[Everything is finished...]
"...You have impeccable timing."
[Why are you picking a fight...]
"No, no. I can ask later. Did you bring the Dragon Heart?"
[Here it is...]
The Wandering Merchant opened a space.
From within, a large, red heart emerged.
Ketal was impressed.
"It's big."
Given the size of a dragon, the heart was equally enormous.
It was large enough to hold three Ketals inside.
Ignisia inspected the heart.
"I was worried it might be tainted with demonic energy since the owner had a keen interest in demons, but it's clean. This should do. Now, Wandering Merchant, I'll tell you the materials needed to create the catalyst, so please pass them on."
[If you ask for more, I will demand a price for everything...]
"You're so strict. Don't worry, I won't."
Ignisia grumbled.
The Wandering Merchant left to gather the materials.
She turned to Ketal.
"I'll make it for you. It should be finished in about a week. It might take a bit longer due to the uniqueness of your body, but it will definitely be done within two weeks."
"Oh, thank you. But is this okay? It seems like a heavy burden."
Helping someone who had used the heart of one of her kin as material to kill another member of their species was hard to understand from a human perspective.
Ignisia shook her head.
"He's someone that needed to be dealt with anyway, so it's fine. Besides, I was in the wrong, so consider this my apology."
She had hidden her identity and provoked Ketal.
She had genuinely attacked him.
If Ketal had been more aggressive, they could still be fighting.
"I appreciate that you think so."
"Then I'll start making it right away. Take it easy while you wait."
"Thank you."
Ketal smiled warmly.
* * *
It wasn't long before the Wandering Merchant brought the necessary materials.
Ignisia immediately began working on the catalyst using the Dragon Heart.
In the meantime, Ketal found himself with nothing to do.
Exploring the lair had been fun, but it wasn't very large, so it only took a few hours to see everything.
Ketal stood idly by with nothing left to occupy his time, watching Ignisia work on the catalyst.
After glancing at him, Ignisia spoke.
"You look bored."
"There's nothing to do but wait."
"Is there anything you'd like to do?"
"There is, actually."
With that, Ketal looked at Ignisia.
The fighting spirit in his gaze made her smile wryly.
"Sorry, but that might be difficult. If we do that, we'll have to be serious, and I don't have the luxury for that right now."
"I understand."
Ketal clicked his tongue in disappointment.
He wasn't so shameless as to request a sparring match from someone who was already making a catalyst for him.
Ignisia suddenly smiled as if an idea had struck her.
"Or how about finding another kind of fun?"
Her smile was incredibly seductive.
She licked her lips, and the atmosphere grew thick with tension.
"I'm interested, too. I'm curious about the difference between a being from the Forbidden Lands and one from the outside. I've always considered myself quite attractive, don't you find it tempting?"
"It would be a lie to say otherwise."
Ignisia was an incredibly beautiful woman.
And she was a dragon.
Naturally, his curiosity was piqued.
But Ketal shook his head.
"I'll pass."
"Hmm. Is it that your sexual desires are different?"
"That's not it. I just don't particularly enjoy such things."
The Barbarians of the White Snowfield were known for being uncivilized and simple-minded.
They favored primal stimuli and pleasures.
As such, Barbarians often engaged in such activities purely as a form of entertainment, with no emotions involved—just pure pleasure.
It was a symbol of savagery.
Ketal had also indulged in such activities in the distant past, but after learning the truth of the world, he had stopped altogether.
He had no desire to chase after such pleasures even outside the White Snowfield.
Wanting to fight Ignisia but refusing to indulge in carnal pleasures might seem contradictory, but that was Ketal's value system.
Ignisia looked at him with a hint of surprise.
"You're maintaining your humanity in such an unexpected way."
"Well... there's more to it than just that."
Ketal grimaced.
The real reason he refused was different.
There was someone in the White Snowfield who clung to him persistently for similar reasons.
No matter how much he refused, ran away, or even beat them up, they kept coming back.
He couldn't kill them either, as they were quite strong, and it was a real nuisance.
He had grown tired of it to the point of exasperation.
"Hmm. Was it one of your kin?"
"No. That one wasn't human."
"...Really? Not human, huh."
"For that reason, I appreciate the offer, but I must decline. Sorry to embarrass you."
"It's fine. Then how about exploring the lair? Don't just look around—feel free to check things out. If something catches your eye, you can take it. I'll allow it."
"Oh, thank you."
Ketal's eyes lit up.
The lair had countless catalysts, treasures, and even ancient books.
The Dragon's lair was full of intriguing things.
Since he had only been looking around because he didn't have permission to touch anything, this offer meant he could now explore without any hesitation.
"Then, may I go explore now?"
"Think of it as your own home and take your time."
"Thank you."
With a cheerful smile, Ketal started walking around to explore the Dragon's lair.
Ignisia watched his back with a curious look in her eyes.
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