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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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Chapter 223: Ancient Dragon Ignisia (2)
“Oh, oh, oh.”
Ketal's body trembled with excitement.
Finally. Finally, he would be able to wield the mystical power.
The time had come to obtain what he had long desired.
The wandering merchant activated the device, and the dragon's corpse vanished in the blink of an eye.
[I'll use the dragon heart to prepare it... I'll come back to you once it's made...]
“How long will it take? About a week?”
[A week...?]
The wandering merchant spoke in a tone that suggested he couldn't understand what Ketal was saying.
[Ten years...]
Ketal, who had asked with eager eyes, hesitated.
“Ten years?”
[Of course... Do you think it's that easy to make your body capable of handling mysticism? Moreover, even I can't easily handle the dragon heart...]
The wandering merchant couldn't have obtained the material if it weren't for this quest.
It was valuable enough that the wandering merchant had to dedicate considerable effort to handling it.
[With your uniqueness added to the mix, ten years is the minimum estimate... It could take decades...]
“No way.”
Ketal was deeply shocked.
The wandering merchant spoke in a tone of disbelief.
[Why are you so surprised...? Time doesn't really matter to you anyway...]
“That may be true, but.”
There was a long time ahead.
He could afford to wait leisurely.
However, he had expected to obtain it immediately, so he felt a great sense of loss.
Ketal became sullen.
And the ancient dragon Ignisia silently watched him.
After a moment of contemplation, she spoke as if she had made a decision.
“Shall I help?”
“Huh?”
[What did you say...?]
“From what I hear, you're trying to make a catalyst with the dragon heart, right? A catalyst to wield mysticism? In that case, I can help. I could probably make it within a week.”
What they were trying to make was a catalyst that would allow Ketal to wield mysticism.
It was a form of alchemy.
However, the wandering merchant did not use magic.
He could produce similar results using various devices, but there were clear limitations.
In contrast, Ignisia was an ancient dragon.
She was a magical being.
If she helped, the catalyst could be made much faster.
“What do you think?”
[I don’t mind... Are you okay with it...?]
“Of course!”
Ketal quickly nodded.
“Are you going to help me?”
“You can consider it an apology for attacking you, even if it was just a joke.”
Ignisia scratched her head awkwardly.
“But that's not the only reason. I have a proposal.”
“A proposal? What is it?”
“During the week it takes to create the catalyst, would you be able to stay in my lair?”
“Of course.”
Not only would he be able to wield mysticism, but he would also get to stay in an ancient dragon's lair.
He didn't know why she wanted this, but Ketal had no reason to refuse.
“Then it's settled. Okay?”
[Understood... I'll take care of the cleanup... I'll come to find you once I'm done...]
“Great. Then let's head to the lair together.”
“Sure. But I can't do spatial teleportation.”
“...Ah. It doesn’t matter. I'll just fold the space. Then, [[follow me]].”
With those words, the two of them disappeared.
The wandering merchant was left alone, standing still for a moment before letting out a deep sigh.
[What is this all about...]
The wandering merchant feigned composure.
He acted as though the conflict between Ignisia and Ketal was not a big deal.
But it was all an act.
The merchant's robe fluttered, and broken devices spilled out from inside.
These were the devices that protected the wandering merchant.
They protected him almost absolutely.
In the past few hundred years, they had never malfunctioned once.
All of those devices, more than ten in total, were now completely destroyed.
To the point where they couldn't even be repaired.
The wandering merchant clicked his tongue.
[They all broke just from blocking a single attack...]
Ketal had genuinely tried to attack Ignisia.
At that moment, the wandering merchant intervened to block the attack.
He had pretended to block it effortlessly, but that wasn’t the truth.
The devices that had been activated to block the attack couldn't withstand the force and were all destroyed.
[That monster...]
The wandering merchant was an ancient being from the very beginning.
He knew many things.
His knowledge extended to a place called the Forbidden Lands.
Since the wandering merchant and the Forbidden Lands had the same origin, it was impossible for him not to know.
Therefore, the wandering merchant couldn't help but be puzzled.
[Why is that guy still human...?]
The wandering merchant muttered in confusion.
* * *
“This is the place.”
“Oh, wow.”
Ketal was impressed.
He was now inside the ancient dragon's lair.
The structure was completely different from the lair he had just been in.
Unlike the excessively ornate lair of the holy dragon, this one was much more refined and luxurious.
“Make yourself comfortable.”
“I won't refuse that offer.”
Ketal sprawled out on the sofa.
It was the most comfortable sofa he had ever sat on.
“So, why did you call me?”
“It's nothing serious.”
Ignisia spoke as she laid down on the sofa opposite him.
“I was just curious. You’re the barbarian of the White Snowfield, aren’t you?”
Ignisia asked a direct question.
Ketal calmly acknowledged it.
“Yes.”
“I knew it...”
She had half-suspected it.
A barbarian with ashen hair and that much power—Ignisia wasn't foolish enough to not recognize his identity.
But hearing a direct confirmation was still a strange feeling.
“I knew the gates were open, but I didn't expect to see you so soon...”
“I feel the same way. I didn't expect to meet a famous ancient dragon either.”
“It's flattering to hear that from the Ashen-Haired Barbarian. I'm very curious about many things; may I ask you a few questions?”
“Of course.”
Ketal nodded.
“I feel the same way.”
Ketal recalled the information he had heard from Arkamis during their previous conversation.
A clash between the gods and the Forbidden Land had occurred in the distant past.
However, there were no records of the Forbidden Land's existence being revealed to the outside world.
It was a contradiction, but even Arkamis didn’t fully understand it.
It was a secret of the world.
A story from a distant past that left no records behind.
Arkamis said,
"Perhaps the dragons might know something? There are a few ancient dragons that have lived since before the Emperor's legend."
And now, there was an ancient dragon standing before him.
* * *
Ignisia gestured in the air.
Two glass cups appeared.
The glasses in front of Ketal and Ignisia automatically filled with alcohol.
"Here you go."
"Thank you."
Ketal took the glass, lightly sniffed the aroma, and expressed his admiration.
"It has a wonderful fragrance."
After taking a sip, Ketal marveled once again.
It was an incredibly delicious drink.
It was comparable to the elven liquor.
Ignisia swirled her glass and spoke.
"It's a drink made by a very skilled artisan two thousand years ago. It's so precious that less than ten bottles were sold in a day."
"A drink aged two thousand years. We are drinking something truly rare."
Ketal laughed, indicating his enjoyment.
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"It seems we both have many questions. May I ask first?"
"Since it was my fault, I don't mind. What are you curious about?"
"You called yourself an ancient dragon. That implies you've lived for a long time."
"Indeed, I have."
Ignisia said.
An ancient dragon.
A dragon that had lived for an especially long time.
One of those was Ignisia.
"In that case, were you present during the era of the Emperor's legend?"
"...Ah, so that's what you're curious about?"
Ignisia responded with a knowing expression.
"The continent was in great turmoil. It was a major concern for us as well. Although it ended in failure."
"I see."
From those words, Ketal realized something.
Ignisia was a dragon that existed even before the legend of the Emperor.
‘Just how long is their lifespan?’
Ketal chuckled.
In that case, she must know a lot.
Ketal brought up the main topic.
"As you might have guessed, I am a being from the place you call the Forbidden Land. I lived in the White Snowfield."
"...So, it was as I suspected."
She had been half-sure, but hearing it directly from him made her feel a deep sense of realization.
The legendary Ashen Barbarian stood before her.
Ignisia looked at Ketal with new eyes.
"And as I’ve heard, the beings from the Forbidden Land are considered enemies of the world. Is that correct?"
"That's right."
Ignisia nodded.
A being who had lived since before the Emperor's legend acknowledged Ketal's words.
Ketal stroked his chin.
"Hmm. I see. So that is indeed the case. How far does this enemity extend?"
"To everything."
Ignisia said it clearly.
"The continent. The world. Humans. Elves. Dwarves. Gods. And demons."
Literally.
Beyond the middle world, encompassing the spirit world, hell, the divine realm, all of it.
The beings from the Forbidden Land were enemies of the world itself.
Ketal frowned.
"They're treated worse than demons."
"And rightfully so."
"Why is that?"
Of course, the beings from the Forbidden Land were not particularly friendly to the surface.
You could tell that just by looking at the creatures in the White Snowfield and the monkeys deep within the sea.
But even so, they weren’t considered enemies of the entire world.
Ignisia shook her head.
"Even if you ask me why, I don't know about that part."
The beings from the Forbidden Land were the enemies of the world.
They could not assimilate, nor coexist.
It was an absolute truth that had existed since before she was born.
"That's why I’m puzzled right now. I never thought I’d be able to have a conversation like this with a being from the Forbidden Land. I believed it was impossible to have a normal conversation with them."
Ketal did not deny it.
It wasn't incorrect after all.
Conversations were possible.
The monsters of the White Snowfield, and even Nano, the outside being of the Forbidden Land, could communicate.
But that didn't mean they could hold a normal conversation.
Nanno intended to replace all things in the world.
He did not understand the rejection, nor did he intend to understand it.
Even though they could converse, it was impossible to have a normal conversation.
The monsters of the White Snowfield weren’t much different.
They could speak, but they had no intention of engaging in conversation.
In that sense, Ignisia's words were correct.
"But I am here."
The problem lay in Ketal's existence itself.
He was now having a conversation with Ignisia without any issues.
"...That's why I'm puzzled. What I know is so different from what I'm seeing."
Ketal’s very existence was irregular.
Ignisia muttered as if she couldn’t understand.
"As far as I know, the only ones capable of normal interaction among them are the wandering merchants... Was I wrong?"
"Hmm?"
Ketal’s face showed puzzlement.
"Are the wandering merchants also beings from the Forbidden Land?"
Ignisia had mentioned the wandering merchants.
But the wandering merchants weren’t confined.
They roamed the world freely.
"They aren't beings from the Forbidden Land. But I know they have similar roots."
"Similar roots?"
"We call you beings from the Forbidden Land because you're trapped there. The term focuses on the place rather than the individual beings."
They don’t leave the confined place and eliminate outside visitors.
At some point, those places came to be known as the Forbidden Land.
Naturally, the beings there began to be called beings of the Forbidden Land.
But that was only because the terrible place, the Forbidden Land, was the main focus.
There was a word for those who dwelled there, a word that focused not on the place but on the beings themselves.
A term handed down from long ago.
Now forgotten, except by those who were as old as ancient dragons.
Ignisia spoke.
"The beings of the Forbidden Land. They were once known as the oldest ones."
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Night]
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