Chapter 65: A New Wave (1)
It felt embarrassing to say this myself, but despite being far too young for it, I had experienced countless events and thought, even if only subconsciously, that I had managed to overcome them fairly well.
It wasn’t some baseless arrogance.
The truth was, in my previous life, the things I had gone through were all the kinds of experiences that an ordinary person might not even encounter once in their entire lifetime.
But even for me, this was the first time.
An absolute existence that needed no lengthy explanation.
The very name that always came up first when one asked what the most powerful lifeform was, and the name that unfailingly put a full stop to that question.
“…Dragon.”
A Dragon.
…Yes, a Dragon.
That very Dragon was now looking down at us.
“Heh.”
When I barely managed to mutter with trembling lips, the Headmaster beside me suddenly let out a small laugh.
“I didn’t think you’d lose your mind or collapse on the spot, but I also didn’t expect you’d be able to speak so clearly.”
I thought he might be teasing me again, but his voice carried only genuine admiration.
I forced my stiff head to turn, and unlike me, he looked perfectly calm.
“I was too mischievous. I should have told you beforehand.”
As he said that, he quickly formed a hand seal.
Soon, I could feel the air around us softening, as though it were melting away.
The suffocating weight that had clogged my chest loosened, and as I finally managed to breathe, he spoke again, as if to reassure me.
“Don’t worry, he is not our enemy.”
“Yes……”
I answered with a difficult nod.
But truthfully, I already knew even without him telling me.
Because not even a trace of hostility could be felt from the Dragon.
Instead, it seemed to be considerate of us, slowly flapping its wings as it landed on the wide clearing before the tomb.
Thud.
But the sound I expected never came.
No, rather than a loud crash, it landed so gently, without even the slightest noise, that goosebumps rose all over my body.
Immediately after, a flash of light enveloped the Dragon’s body.
“……”
When the light faded, standing there in place of the Dragon was a massive man, upright and unshakable, staring at us.
“It has been a long time.”
“Yes, it has been a while.”
In response to the Headmaster’s greeting, he nodded.
Then he strode toward us with unhesitating steps, and his build was so enormous that even I, who was considered tall, had to crane my neck to look up at him.
His physique was so massive that one might mistake him for an Orc or an Ogre rather than a man.
Whether in width or in height, he was colossal beyond measure.
Yet aside from his abnormal size, his features were so plain—almost gentle-looking—that one might find such a face anywhere.
Except for his eyes. His pupils weren’t round like those of humans, but vertically slit, like a Dragon’s.
Those slit pupils slowly swept over us, one by one, until they fixed on the Headmaster.
“What brings you here? Another couple of months should have passed before the time for your visit.”
“I came because I wanted to see an old friend.”
“Growing older has only made you more slippery with words, hasn’t it?”
With a snort, he turned his gaze briefly to me, then back to the Headmaster.
“So, aren’t you going to introduce me?”
“I was about to. How impatient.”
The Headmaster gestured between me and him as if introducing us to one another.
“Lian Gwendil. This here is… Ilse.”
“Pardon?”
What came from the Headmaster’s mouth sounded at once like a song and, at the same time, like a muttered breath.
Unable to understand, I blinked, and the Dragon in human form suddenly furrowed his brows.
“This wrinkled old rascal, you should’ve introduced me in words a non-magician could understand.”
Grumbling, he turned to me and, contrary to my expectations, spoke with great courtesy.
“Please don’t mind what just happened. Simply call me Iros, if you would. And you, guest who has come here after so long, what is your name?”
“…My name is Lian Gwendil. It is an honor to meet you, Iros. And I am truly grateful for such a courteous welcome.”
“I am glad to meet you as well, Lian Gwendil.”
As I answered in kind, Iros gave another snort.
“To get straight to the point, Lian Gwendil, I already have some idea why you’ve come here, so there is no need to explain. It would only waste both our time. So I will tell you everything myself.”
Iros cast a glance toward the tomb, then drew in a quiet breath before continuing.
“As you may already know, within that tomb rest the Wolpen Knights. Some with bodies, some without. Some with mementos, some without. Some with nothing at all but an empty coffin.”
He paused, murmuring with a distant, wistful expression.
“Before that tomb was built, my life was once saved by the Saintess.”
Even though she was human, I had never seen anyone so noble.
Iros continued his explanation as if muttering a lament.
“…And so I decided to repay the Saintess properly, made a pact with the Great Emperor at her request, and later, when the Sage Arpentia came, he demanded that I fulfill the pact he had made with the Great Emperor. From that time on, for hundreds of years, I have continued in accordance with that pact, serving as the guardian of the tomb. And that duty will remain until the day I exhale my final breath.”
Iros stroked his chin and looked at me with eyes that revealed nothing of his inner thoughts.
“In truth, under normal circumstances, you would not have been able to even gaze upon this tomb. It is my role to bar those without qualification. In other words, Lian Gwendil, it means you do have the qualification. I don’t know whom you met… but whoever it was, they would not have given it to you thoughtlessly.”
But.
Iros spoke in a voice that allowed no room for objection.
“That qualification only extends as far as beholding the tomb. I cannot allow anyone inside.”
I instinctively realized that the “anyone” he spoke of included Headmaster Yeriel Poas standing beside me.
I had not the slightest intention of ignoring a Dragon’s warning, so I nodded firmly to show I understood.
“I understand. I can assure you without question, there will be nothing for you to worry about.”
“Then that is well.”
With a favorable air, Iros spread both arms.
“As with all Dragons, I too appreciate a guest who knows respect and courtesy. Stay as long as you are satisfied before returning.”
“I sincerely thank you for your generosity.”
“Thanks? I am no more than a mere gatekeeper. The one who should receive thanks is the master of this place, not I.”
“In that case, gatekeeper, may I trouble you with this?”
The Headmaster, speaking playfully, handed Iros a small box.
For a moment, Iros showed an expression as though something had surged up within him, then quickly steadied his gaze upon the box.
“This is…”
“I believe no explanation is needed.”
“Where in the world did you get this, youngster?”
Iros, taking the box, looked genuinely surprised.
The Headmaster answered with a faintly weary look.
“I must ask this of you. Truthfully, it was because of this that I hurried to find you.”
“…Hm. I understand.”
Nodding slowly, Iros took the box and disappeared into the tomb.
As I watched his retreating figure, the Headmaster slipped something into my hand.
“Here, take this.”
It was a canteen, identical to the one he had been carrying earlier in the forest.
It was heavy, likely filled to the brim.
“If there is something you wish to ask him, do so freely.”
The Headmaster spoke in a hushed tone.
“Opportunities to seek counsel from a Dragon are rare. And more so, Iros is an ancient Dragon who has lived for an exceptionally long time, rich in experience and knowledge. Above all, the most important fact is that he is fairly well-disposed toward humans.”
He added with a sly smile.
“And he seems to have taken quite a liking to you… If you wish to ask a few respectful questions, I believe he will gladly answer.”
“Ah.”
“Still, just in case, I chose one of my better hidden ones to give to him. Surely, he will grant your request.”
I bowed my head, dazed for a moment, and expressed my gratitude.
“Thank you, Headmaster.”
He smiled and patted my back twice.
While we exchanged words, Iros emerged from the tomb and sat himself on a nearby boulder.
He pulled something from his chest and began carving it with a knife. As I alternated glances between his unhurried manner and the canteen in my hand, I quietly drew a breath.
‘So this is what he meant…?’
Talia Poas had told me that the answer to one of my current troubles would be found here.
If so, then was the one to give me that answer none other than the Dragon, Iros, guardian of the tomb?
‘If it is a trouble he can solve…’
My trouble related to Dragons.
And there was only one such thing.
“May I trouble you for a moment?”
“Hmm? Ah, of course.”
Iros, who had been whittling a block of wood, sheathed his knife as I approached.
Even though he was sitting and I was standing, our eye levels were nearly the same.
First, I respectfully handed him the canteen I was holding.
“The Headmaster asked me to give this to you.”
“Oh.”
He brightened noticeably as he spoke.
“Tell him I gratefully accept the gift.”
Iros, accepting the canteen with equal courtesy, nodded and looked at me.
“So, what is it you are curious about?”
“You already knew.”
“Well, you are not the first student to come here.”
He replied with a small laugh.
“For one to reach this far, they must each be exceptional… Yes, all of them were promising young people. And so, none of them wasted the rare chance to converse with a Dragon.”
Now then, what do you wish to know?
As he asked in good humor, I could only hesitate.
For what I wished to ask, no matter how it was phrased, seemed only likely to be taken as an insulting provocation.
As I struggled with how to frame my words, Iros waved a hand as if to reassure me.
“My years are far too many for me to be angered or upset by mere words. So ask freely, without concern.”
“……”
Though, hadn’t he shown a flash of temper earlier at Headmaster Yeriel’s words?
After some hesitation, I resolved to go straight through.
“There is one thing I wish to ask.”
“Hmm, ask as you please.”
“How can one drive away a Dragon?”
The moment I finished speaking, a harsh cough rang out behind me, as though someone had choked.
“……”
Iros too wore a blank look, as though he never expected such a question.
Only after a long silence did he murmur:
“…I did say I would not grow angry, so I cannot.”
No wonder that Master accepted him as a disciple.
Asking a Dragon how to drive away a Dragon—
In truth, asking how to subjugate a Dragon right to its face.
Looking at Lian Gwendil, Yeriel Poas could only think so.