Chapter 162 : Chapter 162

Chapter 162 - Shot in the Heart

[Act 2 is approaching.]

[Player, please prepare for the increasing game difficulty.]

Act 2. The story where the player, after becoming the Family Head, wages war against other great families.

I had certainly understood it that way, and the Youngest Son was well aware of his current position.

‘I’m not the Family Head yet.’

That fact was known not just by the player, but even by a passing dog.

Yet the system was warning of Act 2 and advising preparation.

The system had officially endorsed that Wisdom would not shy away from war from now on.

‘Certainly, the main part of Act 2 is the war between families rather than the player’s inauguration as the Family Head, but I didn't expect the system to step in and advance the plot itself.’

In the Dark Moon Grand Castle, the Youngest Son was lost in thought.

Instead of the stuffy room, his eyes took in Eclipse beyond the wide-open outer wall.

This place, where night had already fallen, was the first land and residence he had obtained, and a workplace that held the goals of many people.

From the Grade 1 Agent who was now a former agent, to the illegitimate daughter of Wisdom, and even a demon noble who sat at the wrong dinner table.

There were also many artisans who became apprentices, aspiring to be magitech engineers, and a plethora of potion makers nurtured by the second Great Witch.

This place had truly gathered a variety of occupations and personalities.

The Youngest Son, perhaps the most heterogeneous being here, sat still and waited for two people.

“Young Master!”

The Butler entered the room, bringing a face he hadn’t seen in a long time.

“Dante. Where on earth did you get something like that?”

The master of Belir and the master of artisans, the magitech engineer Josephine Blue Wisdom.

She couldn’t hide her astonishment as she looked at the Magic Dragon sleeping deep in the basement of Eclipse.

She had been a little excited when he suddenly said he had something to show her, but she never imagined it would be something like that.

Her imagination was not just betrayed, but stabbed in the back and butchered.

“It’s a dragon whose madness has somewhat subsided as it came under my control. Do you see any signs of improvement?”

Josephine, who had just seen the Magic Dragon’s condition under the Butler’s guidance, swallowed a groan.

“Hmm…. It looks very different from the dragons I’ve seen, so I can’t give you a definite answer, but….”

“It’s alright. I understand completely.”

Wisdom’s dragons were all ancient creatures that had lived for over a thousand years.

Not only were they incredibly wise, but they were also often born with attributes that humans couldn’t handle.

Thus, the members of the Wisdom clan sought learning and received teachings from such dragons.

The light attribute that Josephine could handle to some extent was one example.

Within the world of the Five Families, the dragons couldn't bear the boredom of their long lives and craved different stimuli.

Most of the dragons in the West were meddlers who would interfere in human affairs if they found something interesting.

So even Josephine, a half-clan member, had seen dragons quite often when she was in Wisdom.

“Its appearance truly fits the name of a demon dragon, but as you said, Dante, its violence and madness weren't very noticeable.”

Of course, the presence of the Butler, a demon noble, nearby was also a factor, but originally, the Magic Dragon didn't even make such distinctions.

“When I was in Wisdom, I rarely heard about dragons being sick, and they certainly never sought help from humans for it, you know?”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“But I did hear in passing that they recover through sleep.”

“…Sleep, you say.”

It was different from the player's knowledge.

Fortunately, besides the Elixir, it seemed this species had its own principles.

But it didn’t seem to have a deep meaning either.

Dragons were powerful creatures in their own right, so the idea that they heal by sleeping was understandable.

“Is there anything else?”

“It seems they don’t just sleep anywhere. Something about a heart, it seemed their sleeping spots were different according to their innate attribute.”

I knew what this meant.

Water dragons lived near the sea, and wood dragons lived in forests; each dragon had a comfortable environment of its own.

“I think I understand a little why the Magic Dragon became a Magic Dragon.”

“Right. You said that Magic Dragon was once called a Fire Dragon, didn’t you? A dragon that should have lived in a volcano was brutally tortured on a snowy mountain. It’s no wonder it went mad.”

Josephine clicked her tongue softly.

“Anyway, I’m sorry I couldn’t be of much help.”

“Just telling me this much was a help. You’ve done well.”

Josephine scratched her refreshing blue hair, like a summer sea, and mumbled.

The talk about the dragon was over, but there was still more to say.

“Butler.”

“Yes!”

He tactfully excused himself, and only the members of the Millesdusk and Wisdom clans remained in the room.

The one who spoke first was the Wisdom clan member, who had much to say.

“…Dante. I heard about the situation with Wisdom from Lores-nim. We’re the ones who stand out the most, aren’t we?”

“Yes.”

The Youngest Son didn't deny it and calmly affirmed.

However, there was a point that needed to be corrected.

“It's not us, it's me.”

“Huh? H-Huh?”

“The one who stands out is me, not you. I will make it so, so you just continue with the research you want to do. If there’s something you want to make, tell me right away.”

He was subtly telling her not to steal public funds like the Forest Witch.

“Dante….”

Despite the dry reason, her eyes became moist.

Her blue eyes, as if filled with the clearest sea water, welled up with tears.

“…Still, if Wisdom uses me as a pretext to retrieve me. Just let me go. I don’t want to cause you any harm, Dante.”

“Harm? What kind of harm are you talking about?”

“Well, the war with Wisdom─”

“Something like that doesn’t matter.”

Josephine’s shoulders trembled slightly.

Although she had run away on her own, she had seen up close what kind of power Wisdom possessed.

She had grown up under Wisdom’s pillars and roof, and she knew well how thick the pillars were and how wide the roof was.

“Dante. Wisdom is not an enemy to be taken lightly. Right now, when the clans haven’t even properly united, an all-out war will cause great damage.”

As befitting a member of a family that valued logic and wisdom as its strength, there were no flaws in her words.

Yes. All of that was correct.

But this side was a great family clan that revered strength, disorder, and chaos.

“So what.”

“Huh…?”

“That’s no reason to abandon you. Rather, it’s a reason to protect you fiercely. In a war against Wisdom, one of their clan is on our side.”

Smiling, he poured the tea that the Head Maid had brewed earlier into a cup.

His bloodshot eyes then turned to Eclipse, clearly visible beyond the wide-open outer wall.

“I will not give up anything in this land. That includes you. Do you understand?”

“Uh-huh….”

Josephine slowly nodded, clenching her fists tightly.

The tea, which had become lukewarm, flowed down her throat. Her dry mouth felt a little better.

“It’s not that I’m not nervous. Since the opponent is Wisdom, I am preparing more thoroughly than ever, where no one can see.”

It was information that the illegitimate daughter within the clan’s fence had heard through someone else's mouth.

In other words, all members of the Millesdusk clan were well aware that Wisdom was very displeased.

So, although they pretended not to know about the war, they must have finished warming up long ago.

“I might put you on the negotiation table, but I won’t put you on the battlefield. So don’t worry and go.”

“…No. When the time comes, I will fight too. At the very forefront, more than anyone else.”

The illegitimate daughter of Wisdom spoke with her own resolve, but she still looked like a squirrel.

“Don’t be nervous and live as you usually do. What you’re worried about won’t come right away.”

“Alright. I’ll see you again next time then.”

Josephine had started the conversation with a worried expression, but when she left, she wore a slightly more comfortable smile.

After she left the room, the Youngest Son combined the hints he had just received.

“The source of the dragons’ power is the Dragon Heart. The Magic Dragon’s is severely damaged. Also, dragons heal by sleeping in a resting place that matches their respective attributes….”

Where in the eastern lands would be a suitable place for a Fire Dragon?

The Blue Volcano, where the Blue Flame Spirit resided, came to mind, but there was no longer a volcano there.

Another idea was to heat the Magic Dragon with the blue flame, but he quickly dismissed it.

“With war fast approaching, I can’t stop the production of Dark Elixir. It’s not something that can be done overnight, and the tail would be wagging the dog.”

His worries had multiplied, but he still had to do what needed to be done.

The Youngest Son, now accustomed to creating a clone, said.

“Help Edwin and subdue the monster in the citadel's underground. Just provide enough help so that he doesn't die.”

“I will.”

The clone Young Master familiarly received the order and mounted the Griffin.

“Also, I will send a Messenger Ghoul to the Forest Witch. When you finish your work, retrieve the item from her and stack it in the underground.”

The clone Young Master nodded and flew away through the open outer wall.

Now, the clone and Edwin would work on the second processing in the citadel, while the main body had to handle the Fire Dragon matter.

“I can’t think of a suitable place.”

[Why go far? You melted the ice in a flash when your sisters froze this place.]

“……”

The Youngest Son’s eyes flashed open.

He went to the Butler at once. He was still by the Magic Dragon’s side.

Whether it was the dragon or the Marquis of the demon world, both had been hurt by demon followers.

Perhaps feeling a sense of kinship, Butler Amon gently stroked the sleeping Magic Dragon.

“Butler.”

“Young Master? If you needed something, you should have called. Why did you come in person?”

“The Magic Sword had a decent idea for once. It's a rather plausible story.”

[What did you say, you punk?]

Ignoring the Magic Sword’s protest, I continued.

“Butler, with the hellfire you possess, could you create an environment as familiar as possible for the Fire Dragon?”

“What is an environment familiar to a Fire Dragon?”

“Hot and warm is enough.”

“Hmm!”

The Butler gently stroked his smooth, hairless chin. The answer came quickly.

“I think I can do it. But you see. There's one piece of bad news.”

His small hand pointed to the area around the Magic Dragon’s heart.

“Since the part that seems to be the core of this creature is so damaged, even if we create the environment, it will be like pouring water into a broken jar.”

“We’ll need something to replace its heart.”

“That's right. But where could we find something like that? As you know, Young Master, this being is truly formidable. It needs a heart that is no joke either.”

The Youngest Son’s mind raced.

He could create a heart, but that was limited to humans.

Even with the Six Paths, he couldn’t create a heart for a dragon’s use.

Did he need an Elixir after all?

“What’s the extent of the damage?”

“More than half of it is dead, blackened.”

And yet, the Magic Dragon, with its formidable Flame Thunder in its mouth, gave a hint of its prime.

The demon followers, who were the former rulers of the East, must have poured all their power into capturing the Fire Dragon.

It might have been possible back then when it was a young individual, but a dragon's body doesn't stop growing even when it's broken.

So its current state couldn’t be called good even as a joke.

“For now, Young Master. This is a problem that can’t be solved right away. When was the last time you lay in bed? Do you even remember?”

The Butler dragged the back of the Youngest Son, who was standing lost in thought.

“Go and sleep! The Head Maid-nim is about to knock you out by hitting the back of your neck!”

“Alright. I’m going, I’m going.”

“The Magic Dragon won’t disappear just because we can’t heal this! You’ll live a long time as a noble of the night, so don’t be so hasty!”

The Youngest Son couldn’t take his eyes off the Magic Dragon before being forcibly moved to his bedroom.

A few walls moved, the floor rose, and his surroundings changed.

However, in the room, there was a guest that even its owner hadn’t noticed.

A woman with sharp features, sitting on the bed without permission, her legs crossed.

“Hello, son~.”

The bloody glow in the woman’s eyes shimmered.

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