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Chapter 229: Ancient Dragon Ignisia (8)
The Next Day.
Ignisia inspected Ketal's body.
“Hmm… there are no issues. The Mystics have settled into your body. This is fascinating.”
When the dragon words were used, it had certainly tried to consume Ketal, but now, inside Ketal's body, it was extremely calm.
It was as if his entire body had been restrained and subdued by chains.
It was strange, but since there were no problems, there was nothing more to say.
Ignisia spoke up.
“If that's the case, you'll need to harness the Mystics while learning either swordsmanship or magic, just as the wandering merchant suggested. Dragon Words should come after that.”
“Understood. I'm really grateful.”
“No need. I enjoyed it too.”
The conversation came to an end.
Now, all Ignisia had to do was send Ketal back to the Kingdom of Denian.
At that moment, Ignisia suddenly remembered something and spoke up.
“Oh, right. There’s still one more question I wanted to ask you.”
“What is it?”
It was a question that the wandering merchant had interrupted before it could be asked.
In a way, it was the most important question.
Ignisia looked at Ketal.
“You are a barbarian of the Ashen Snowfields. You've lived there for a long time.”
“It wasn't a short time, indeed.”
“Then let me ask you this: How strong are you in there?”
Her calm voice echoed.
How strong?
Ketal answered the question.
“In the beginning, I struggled a lot. I was tossed around and toyed with by powerful monsters.”
His tribe had lived in hiding, avoiding the monsters that ruled the snowfields.
But he had grown stronger.
As time passed, Ketal had gained power and eventually became a formidable force in the snowfields.
“There were some that gave me a hard time. There are also those whose strength is uncertain since we haven't fought properly, but I never lost when I fought with all my might.”
Ketal spoke calmly.
Hearing his answer, Ignisia's eyes darkened.
The barbarian before her was the strongest being in the Ashen Snowfields.
This was somewhat expected.
Long ago, the emperor had said that the barbarians of the Ashen Snowfields were the most dangerous.
More importantly, she had personally faced Ketal and knew of his strength.
If such a barbarian wasn't the strongest in that place, that would have been an even more terrifying thought.
Having confirmed this, Ignisia asked the next question.
“You are a being from the Ashen Snowfields who has come out into the world. So you must know. How much difference is there in power between what's inside and what's outside?”
How different in power were the monsters inside the Ashen Snowfields compared to the strong ones outside?
After a moment of contemplation, Ketal spoke.
“The strong ones outside are not weak. Those who are called superhumans could survive in the Ashen Snowfields.”
Those who were considered superhuman might not die easily in the Ashen Snowfields.
But that would only be survival.
They would live like beasts, fleeing from predators, digging tunnels, and preying on others.
It wouldn't be a life of a true strong one.
Just recently, the white beast had almost killed a superhuman-level wizard and a superhuman-level inquisitor while toying with them.
The white beast played a role as a higher predator in the depths of the Ashen Snowfields, but it wasn't a particularly extraordinary monster in the grand scheme of the snowfields.
Yet superhuman-level warriors were considered very special outside.
Just by that comparison, the Ashen Snowfields were clearly superior.
Hearing Ketal's explanation, Ignisia's eyes darkened.
“…So it's true.”
It was as she had somewhat guessed, but it was the worst outcome.
The beings of the Ashen Snowfields were emerging into the world.
The monsters from the Ashen Snowfields in the center of the continent would start appearing one by one.
All of them possessed great power according to the standards of the outside world.
Just thinking about the consequences gave her a headache.
“…It’s a terrifying situation.”
“For you and for me as well.”
Ketal gave a bitter smile.
He had finally escaped, only to have the creatures from inside follow him out.
It was like a nightmare for Ketal as well.
“Not to mention, it's not just the Ashen Snowfields; other Forbidden Lands will also be emerging… It's troubling.”
“It doesn’t seem like all the Forbidden Lands have similar levels of power. At least, based on what’s been observed so far, the other Forbidden Lands are much weaker compared to the Ashen Snowfields.”
The primates that lived in the deep sea.
They were also beings from a Forbidden Land.
But they had been annihilated by just one white beast. Considering that, the power gap between Forbidden Lands was quite large.
“There might be Forbidden Lands that you could handle alone as well.”
“Well, that's a small relief.”
Ignisia let out a deep breath.
“Is that the end of your questions?”
“No. I have one last question. This one is very personal.”
Ignisia spoke with a serious expression.
“Monsters from legends.”
The white snake that devours icebergs.
The white bear that causes earthquakes.
The grotesque rat that pollutes the oceans.
“If you were to fight them, what do you think would happen?”
Could the great dragon of the continent fight against the legendary monsters?
Ketal hesitated. He was silent for a moment. Ignisia waited quietly.
After a while, Ketal spoke.
“You are strong enough. But if you ask which side would win… I’m not sure.”
Dragon Words could twist the world and bind space itself with chains.
Even Ketal was restricted by its powerful force.
It was a unique power that he hadn’t seen in the Ashen Snowfields.
But the legendary monsters were the same.
They, too, had their own unique powers, just like Ignisia’s Dragon Words.
Since the direction of their powers was so different, it was difficult to say which side had the upper hand definitively.
Hearing this, Ignisia's eyes narrowed.
“…So it’s uncertain?”
“In terms of pure strength, there might not be much difference. But considering each one’s unique powers, it’s hard to say for sure.”
“Hmm. I see.”
The strength of the legendary monsters and the great dragon was comparable.
It was a level that could only be determined through direct confrontation.
Ignisia’s face showed slight dissatisfaction.
“…I see. So you're not confident you’d win.”
Even as a great dragon, she was only on par with the legendary monsters.
That fact was unsatisfying, but she accepted it for what it was.
“Well. Still, if I’m at that level, I’m just below the strongest in the Ashen Snowfields, right? That’s good enough for me.”
Ignisia spoke with pride.
Ketal was momentarily puzzled.
‘Huh?’
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There was clearly something wrong with Ignisia's statement.
But before he could point it out, Ignisia spoke again.
"My questions are all resolved now. Thank you. I look forward to seeing you again in the future."
"Oh, right. I enjoyed our time together too."
"Well then, let's meet again—as allies. Farewell."
With those words, Ignisia dismissed him, and Ketal's body vanished, returning to the Kingdom of Denian.
"Ugh..."
Ignisia stretched, a look of annoyance crossing her face.
"Now I have to sort all this information and report it. What a hassle."
Dragons were independent beings.
But that didn't mean they didn't have their own society.
Among the dragons, there were the old ones, known as Elders.
These Elders, with their immense power, helped maintain the world's balance.
They were collectively known as the Dragon Council.
The reason she went after the young dragon in the first place was because the Council had decided it.
"They're going to make a fuss about this. Ugh, I hate it."
Teaching Dragon Speech Magic to an outsider, especially a barbarian from the White Snowfield, would be shocking to the Elders.
It was a necessary action, but it would be seen as a grave sin to the old-fashioned Elders.
Just thinking about the aftermath gave her a headache.
She sighed and started preparing the report to minimize the inevitable reprimand.
"But still..."
'It's strange.'
She couldn't help but wonder about Ketal's power.
Ketal was strong—strong enough to be called the most powerful in the White Snowfield.
But because of that, she found it odd.
'Why is that power limited to his physical body?'
With such strength and status, having some sort of unique ability or power wouldn't be strange for him.
It was almost as if he was deliberately suppressing himself.
"Strange indeed,"
Ignisia muttered.
But that was as far as she went.
There was too much work to do.
She began gathering information to minimize the Council's scolding.
* * *
Meanwhile, Ketal had returned to the Kingdom of Denian.
Smiling broadly, he headed to the Akasha family mansion, where Milena greeted him warmly.
"You're back! I was starting to worry something might have happened because you were gone for so long."
Given Ketal's immense power, it was unlikely anything had gone wrong, but the involvement of the wandering merchant had made her anxious.
She asked with a welcoming smile,
"What were you doing? Did you achieve your goal?"
"Yes, I did. I went dragon hunting."
Milena's cheerful expression froze.
"...What?"
"The wandering merchant's quest was to eliminate a dragon that was cooperating with demons. So, I went and did that."
Ketal spoke as if it was a simple task, akin to clearing a dungeon.
Milena was utterly bewildered.
"Are you serious?"
"Yes, it was an enjoyable time. I even met some new acquaintances."
"A-acquaintances?"
"Yes, specifically, Spellweaver, Bloodedge, and Seraphina."
Milena's eyes widened even further.
"...The Archmage of the Tower, the Mercenary King, and the Chief Inquisitor?"
"Oh, you know them well."
"Y-you hunted a dragon with them?"
"Yes, and I met the ancient dragon Ignisia."
"...The Architect of the Tower?"
"You seem to know a lot."
Ketal was impressed by Milena's knowledge, thinking it must be the result of a merchant's information network.
Milena, however, was simply overwhelmed.
Ketal, who had reappeared after just a few days, was casually talking about hunting dragons, meeting ancient dragons, and mingling with the heads of various factions.
It was beyond anything a normal person like her could easily comprehend.
As she stuttered, trying to ask more, a servant approached cautiously.
"Madam, there's a matter that requires your attention."
It was the middle of the day, so she had many responsibilities to handle.
"I suppose it’s best to take care of business first and talk later."
"Ah, yes, please explain everything tonight."
Milena barely managed to pull herself together and began attending to her duties.
Ketal, meanwhile, returned to his room and happily laid down.
'That was fun.'
He had truly enjoyed himself.
He had gained mystical power, met an ancient dragon, encountered strong individuals from various factions, and even hunted a dragon.
This was exactly the kind of experience he had come out into the world for.
It was incredibly entertaining.
As he reflected on all that had happened, Ignisia's words suddenly came to mind.
[Well, even if I’m at that level, it still makes me the strongest just below the very top in the White Snowfield, right? That’s good enough for me.]
When he heard that, Ketal had been puzzled because there was an error in her thinking.
He had intended to point it out, but the conversation ended before he could.
'That's not right.'
Now that he thought about it, it wasn’t just Ignisia.
Most people outside had the same misconception.
The White Snake that devours icebergs.
The White Bear that causes earthquakes.
The hideous Rat that pollutes the ocean.
They were indeed powerful monsters, dominating vast territories within the White Snowfield.
They were creatures strong enough to be called legendary beasts.
But.
"I never once said that they were the strongest monsters in there," Ketal muttered.
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