– There is a Grand Schema in plan for you.
Closing her eyes, she could remember her mother’s voice, and the words that used to ring her ears like a lullaby.
– You will vent the grudge of us black dragons.
It was that the future of the ill, injured and sick black dragons whose house had been taken away was on her shoulders.
– You must achieve this feat which no-one has been able to thus far.
No matter how difficult and exhausting it is, you must continue to proceed without giving up, conquer and obtain it. That was what her mother used to tell her.
– Do not forget. My beloved daughter. There is a…
She had a Grand Schema in plan.
Her mother did.
.
.
.
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
Ever since she returned to Askalifa, there had been 12 pairs of eyes following Bom. These were eyes that others could not see, but Bom could close her eyes and inspect her inner world to see them clearly.
In fear that a problem may occur to their Grand Schema, the 12 pairs of eyes encouraged Bom who had to shoulder the aspiration of their race, and monitored her. They rushed her, telling her to go achieve the grand aspiration.
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are expectant of you.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] express their disappointment at you.>
Their aspiration became an obsession. That was undeniable considering how the 12 adult black dragons had burned their physical bodies with black flames to simply monitor Bom.
They were the ones in charge of the race that was destined to fall after being unfairly expelled from Askalifa in the past. For them, the betterment of their race was a lot more important than an individual’s life and their remaining lives.
Those were the gazes that were on Bom.
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
Bom needed to go to places they could accept, and do things they could comprehend, and most of them were extreme yet efficient methods of becoming a Dragon Lord.
Sometimes, her opinions differed from that of the spirits’. Even though she considered something necessary, the spirits oftentimes did not.
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
At times, underneath all the intense gazes that were falling on her, Bom had to calm them down.
“You don’t need to worry about anything. Everything is for the Grand Schema.”
Bom talked to the eyes and ears inside her, and had to prove that her idea was better than what they suggested.
Because otherwise, she had to go through a severe nightmare that was close to a mental torture.
“You trust me right?
“I’ll listen to what you say.
“So please just watch over me this time…”
<[Lugiathan] calms down the [Vengeful Spirits].>
They only calmed down when her mother entered the fray. But for Bom, it was just another addition to the gazes facing her way.
*
The things Bom had to do in order to proceed towards the Grand Schema were as follows.
She had to become part of the green race at the time of the current Dragon Lord’s death. This had been arranged beforehand by her mother Lugiathan. She merged into the first Amusement to show she was young.
After returning from the Amusement, her job was to distinguish herself as much as possible at a young age, and be acknowledged by the dragons of Askalifa including the green race. It was because of this that she had been going through an intense curriculum ever since her birth, and was also why the advice and lectures of the vengeful spirits were following her.
And she had to be selected as the next Dragon Lord regardless of the method. For that, she had to be acknowledged by the five elders and the Dragon Lord, and this was where her uniqueness came to play.
Bom was a mutant dragon who had half deviated from Providence. Because of that, she was able to disguise herself with complete falsehood.
It was because of her uniqueness that it was possible for her to be acknowledged by the Dragon Lord and the five elders in spite of her fishy intention.
After that it was simple. Bom would head to the temple of the Dragon Lord and stand in front of [Dragon’s Origin] which protected the dragons.
That was the true body of the small fragments protecting the hearts of infant dragons, the [Origin Fragment].
It was large and looked like a crystal gem, and it granted one’s wishes.
Standing in front of the gem, Bom could make an [Oath] after being selected as the new Dragon Lord. All the authorities, justifications and powers of a Dragon Lord would then be conveyed down to her.
That was what the black dragons were aiming for.
On the day of her coronation as a Dragon Lord,
Bom would be standing in front of the large gem, deceive all the participating dragons, and make this as her wish.
〚I wish for the black dragon race to permanently reside in Askalifa.〛
At the same time, she would use the greatest treasure of the black race, the [Demonic Sword of Grief].
Bom would stab the demonic sword into [Dragon’s Origin]. With that, the black dragon race will return to Askalifa, and all the dragons would have to accept the black race because of the oath; because the black race had to ‘reside permanently’ in Askalifa.
[Dragon’s Origin] will lose its power and be unable to create a new Lord for over 10,000 years but that was none of their business.
Because the black dragons would be able to create a new order by then.
Like that, the path in front of Bom was very clear. All she had to do was follow what they told her to do.
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are gazing at you.>
However, Bom moved even faster to accomplish beyond their expectations. Seeing that made the vengeful spirits satisfied but they did not lower their guards. It was because sometimes, almost once every few centuries, Bom would try to go astray.
It was when the war against the quons was in a stalemate. After managing two troops for local battles without a single rest for 15 years, Bom was able to tie a small knot to the war.
When she was about to return to her territory to release all the accumulated fatigue, a protector walked up to her.
“There has been a request for a visit.”
She viewed the memories that had been brought over, as her eyes that had been soaked in fatigue stretched wide open.
“Please leave my head for three days. I want a full rest for myself.”
Bom asked the vengeful spirits rooted inside her body, but was met with an internal riot.
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are infuriated.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] state that such a thing is utterly impossible.>
“I just want to comfortably rest a little. I’m not asking for a lot of time.”
<The [Vengeful Spirits] reject you.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] rebuke you for saying nonsense.>
<The [Vengeful Spirits] alert you that that could be the start to laziness.>
“How about two days? Or, even just one day.”
It was her first time making such a request. She tried to persuade them but they were suspicious about her intention.
What ulterior motive do you have. What are you going to do for a day after pushing us away.
They asked.
“No. Nothing. I’m just asking for a rest, at a place away from everyone’s vision.”
However, her persuasion did not work.
<[Lugiathan] gazes at you.>
The strict gaze of her mother strangled her.
<[Lugiathan] wants to persuade you.>
<[Lugiathan] hopes for your rest, but wishes that to be after you become the Lord, or after the Grand Schema is completed.>
“Mum.”
Bom stiffened her expression, and the voice of her mother flowed into her head.
– My dear daughter.
– There is a Grand Schema for you.
– You may do as you wish after it has been completed.
“I know that. I’ve been doing it fine till now.”
She tried to persuade her mother but had to cower before her stern lecture.
– Wake up a little my eighth daughter. Do you need to be scolded?
– It is an opportunity that came after thousands of hard work. You know it yourself, do you not? Nn? How could you wish for your petty freedom at a time like this.
Bom stopped trying to persuade them, but had to pay the price for stirring up the vengeful spirits.
They were suspicious. Listing everything she had done, they mentioned that she had never asked for a rest like this until now, and demanded she tell them why she was asking for one now.
One of them viewed the memories of the visit request that had been conveyed over to Bom. Out of those asking for a conversation were also ones who had left on their first Amusement with Bom.
But Bom shook her head.
“No. They have nothing to do with this.”
Dragons were by nature indifferent to other races, and were even exclusive.
Because of that, the friendship between Gyeoul and Kaeul, as well as the one including Yeorum, was famous among the dragon society for being fairly unique. It was the first time in the history of dragonkind that dragons of other races were that close.
That was something Bom knew about, and the vengeful spirits obviously knew everything she knew herself.
<The [Vengeful Spirits] are suspicious of you.>
They demanded a sign which proved that her request for a vacation was really not related to these two kids.
Bom said they had nothing to do with it, and she needed to prove that in front of the eyes of the vengeful spirits.
“Protector.”
“Yes Miss.”
“Don’t report to me anymore if you get a visit request from these two kids.”
“Specifically from these two, is it?”
“Yes. Make it so that I’m not even aware of their request. You may take care of that yourself.”
“…I understand. How long should that arrangement be valid for, may I ask?”
The gazes of the vengeful spirits deepened as their suspicions were amplified.
Bom gave the reply that they wanted the most.
“Forever.”
Only then were the spirits satisfied.
.
.
.
Like that, Bom left on a journey to become the Dragon Lord.
She belonged to countless squads, and had to shed blood everyday in the war against quons.
The role of black dragons was to convey the memories of history to their descendents. Naturally, among them were also memories related to wars.
In the grand flow of time, history tended to repeat itself. Under the command of Lugiathan and the vengeful spirits, Bom gave wonderful commands and led several battles to victory.
At times, her loyalty was doubted, and she had to do things that were very cruel.
The most horrendous of them was probably telling her who had her eye and ear ripped off, sliced wrist, crushed legs and opened rib cages, to cross the ancient forest to track one of quon’s great warriors.
There, Bom constantly shed blood, breathed in the humid and sticky air while sweating profusely and vomited several times from the pain all the while diligently moving her legs, with nothing but one ballista in her hand.
The ancient forest was massive. It was half of Askalifa’s entire region, and was 2,300 times larger than Earth. In that place, Bom wandered endlessly and had to look for the great warrior over an unending period of time.
Only after driving an arrow into the head of the great warrior was she able to return to the mainlands of Askalifa. By the time she returned, it had been 71 years since she jumped into the forest.
Her accomplishment of tracking the great warrior by herself and killing him was widely acknowledged, her name value rose up tremendously and that was when her status also began to soar into the sky. She was even requested to have a personal conversation with the Dragon Lord.
Because of that, Bom could not sit down and rest even after coming back. Her mind was worn down and crushed, and a part of her broken body was left as a disability due to not being healed properly but she continued moving.
Sometimes, she had to lay her hands on the stimulant of the black race to clarify her broken mind. It was one that added power to the mind by ruining a portion of the health. That too was only possible after the calculation and guidance of her mother.
Bom was unable to sleep and gained a mind that was always enlightened. But because of that, her body began to break down.
She had a light seizure and a fit whenever she was a little relaxed. A permanent disability laid waste to her left arm and made it impossible to move properly.
The disability came even to her senses and she could no longer taste, smell or feel anything. Later, even a part of her heart was permanently damaged, and her body became one that couldn’t bear a child.
That day, she collapsed and cried a little, in front of the eyes of the vengeful spirits…
Even so, Bom had to move for the Grand Schema.
And that made the vengeful spirits very content.
Such times went on as 700 years passed after her return from the Amusement. The tides of war shifted and the green dragons that had always been on the losing side were starting to push the quons back.
That was when the Dragon Lord secretly called Bom and sent her as a secret emissary.
〚You go meet the red race, and have them attend the war under my name.〛
“Yes sir.”
Bom immediately came up with a plan, and shared her plan with the vengeful spirits. It was that she would go meet her old acquaintance, the only connection she had without bothering to go anywhere else.
Didn’t Bom wish to go astray in the past with something related to Kaeul and Gyeoul? The unforgetting vengeful spirits showed a fair bit of discontentment again and started doubting her.
However, her reply was very clear.
“You remember how she was dispatched to our squad, and constantly asked me to meet her right? Back then, I turned those down without even looking at them. That is my answer. There is no need to doubt me; I’m just pursuing efficiency.”
The vengeful spirits gave the same reply as before.
Prove it.
“…”
Without saying anything, Bom moved.
She crossed the boundaries and looked for Yeorum’s nest.
Fortunately, Yeorum wasn’t sleeping.
For the first time in 700 years, she looked into her eyes.
“Hello.”
Bom greeted Yeorum.
“…”
On the other hand, Yeorum looked back at her with a bizarre look on her face.