Chapter 621
A Good Offer. But… (2)
The wind died down, and even the chirping of birds ceased. A tense stillness spread, as if the world itself was holding its breath.
Arterion's eyes gleamed ominously. A faint blue light began to pulse inside his mouth.
He intended to unleash his breath attack and wipe out everyone before him in an instant.
Mere humans like them would never be able to withstand this extreme cold.
But before the breath could be released, Ghislain shouted loudly toward the sky.
“Arterion—!”
A flicker of doubt appeared in Arterion's eyes. His energy wavered slightly, and he lowered his head a little further.
“A human… knows my name?”
He had been trapped for a thousand years. Even if his name had remained in records, no human should have known that he was imprisoned here.
His land was now an unreachable, forgotten expanse of snowy desolation.
And that piqued his curiosity.
Who exactly was this human, and how did he know his name?
Ghislain continued speaking.
“I am the Duke of Fenris from the Ritania Kingdom! The one who destroyed the resurrected Salvation Church! I know you are searching for the Adversary!”
Arterion's eyes widened.
How could this human possibly know that?
But soon, a possibility came to mind his friend who had been aiding the humans.
“Could it be… that you met Ereneth?”
If so, then it wouldn't be strange for him to know his objective. Moreover, the additional claim Ghislain made was quite intriguing.
“You say you destroyed the resurrected Salvation Church?”
Arterion had heard from Ereneth that humans were waging war against the Salvation Church.
But was that war already over?
A memory of something Ereneth once said surfaced in his mind.
There is an exceptionally brilliant human sovereign. He moves as if he has foreseen everything and prepares accordingly.
“…Ah, so you must be that leader of the humans.”
A subtle smile formed on Arterion’s lips.
He had heard that this man had fought against the Salvation Church and, at least temporarily, halted the expansion of the Rift. That news had surprised him.
Even if the Salvation Church and the Riftspawn were weaker than they were a millennium ago, stopping them was still an extraordinary feat.
His curiosity toward this human deepened.
Ghislain’s voice rang out once more.
“I wish to discuss this matter with you! We can help you.”
“…Help me?”
Arterion's eyes narrowed slightly.
What an interesting human.
After a brief moment of contemplation, he nodded.
“…Very well. You seem worthy of a conversation with me.”
Muttering softly, Arterion slowly began to descend. At the same time, a brilliant light radiated from his body.
After the blinding light faded, so intense that no one could keep their eyes open, a breathtakingly handsome man stood upon the earth. His white hair flowed in the wind, and his appearance was so striking that everyone involuntarily held their breath.
Step, step.
Arterion, now in his human form, approached with a relaxed stride.
Stopping a few steps away from Ghislain, he slowly opened his mouth.
“I am… the sovereign who commands the eternal blizzard, the guardian of wisdom, the Lord of Frost, and the keeper of the world's balance. The last Dragon Lord Arterion. I shall heed your request for conversation.”
Despite the grandiose self-introduction, no one found it excessive. His arrogance suited him perfectly.
From behind Ghislain, Kaor finally snapped out of his daze and burst out indignantly.
“I am the Leather King of Ritania, the Ogre Slayer, and the one who nearly became the Cyclops Slayer— Urgh!”
Before he could finish, Belinda clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him backward.
Arterion let out a small chuckle at the sight.
“There’s always one. You remind me of a loudmouthed old friend of mine.”
Ghislain’s expression turned slightly awkward. He had a feeling he knew who Arterion was referring to.
Arterion turned his gaze back to him and asked,
“Are you the representative of the humans?”
“For now, yes.”
“Is it true that you have destroyed the Salvation Church?”
“There are still remnants, but their main force has been eradicated. We are currently hunting down the stragglers.”
Arterion narrowed his eyes at Ghislain’s stiff response.
“How arrogant you sound for a mere human. But your achievements are not insignificant, so I shall overlook it. Now, tell me once more why you have sought a conversation with me.”
“I heard from Ereneth that you are searching for the Adversary, the so-called King of the Salvation Church. He is also our enemy.”
“And?”
“There is no need for you to kill humans in order to find him. We will aid you in your search.”
Ghislain’s gaze turned sharp as he spoke. Arterion found himself amused by it.
This human knew exactly who he was, yet he dared to look at him with such eyes.
Arterion shifted his gaze to their surroundings.
“Hm…”
In the distance, he spotted small fortress-like structures scattered across the land many of them.
They looked recently built. He wasn’t certain of their exact purpose, but they were likely meant to be used against him.
“…Did you intend to fight me?”
“If necessary.”
“That would be in the event that negotiations fail, I presume?”
“Yes.”
As their conversation unfolded, everyone else gripped their weapons tightly. A heavy tension began to settle in the air.
Piote, who had initially suggested attempting diplomacy, hesitantly stepped forward.
“U-Um… I am Piote, a priest of Juana. Is there truly a need for us to fight when we share a common enemy? The Goddess would not wish for such wasteful conflict.”
Arterion scoffed.
“Fight? That word is reserved for those who are worthy of standing against each other. Do you truly believe you have the right to fight me?”
“……”
A suffocating silence followed.
It was an incredibly arrogant statement, yet no one could refute it.
After all, the one speaking was a dragon, an existence considered supreme and the most powerful of all.
Arterion sneered as he looked at Piote.
"Even if the goddess herself were to come and speak, I would not listen. I no longer believe in a useless goddess. In fact, I despise her."
"T-That’s…!"
Piote was flustered. He had heard that dragons were beings created by the goddesses to protect the world.
And yet, here was a creation denying its own creator speaking in a manner that was outright blasphemous.
"How dare you!"
Boom!
Parniel stepped forward, gripping her mace tightly. As a Saintess, she could not simply stand by and tolerate such words.
A powerful surge of divine energy radiated from her in all directions.
"Whoa, hold on a second."
As Ghislain reached out a hand to stop her, Belinda, Gillian, and Kaor quickly stepped in front of her. Tennant also moved a little closer to Ghislain’s side.
Belinda forced an awkward smile.
"He's just a non-believer, right? Different species think in different ways. How about saving the inquisition for later?"
Kaor chimed in beside her.
"Yeah! We have to respect religious fre—"
His words were abruptly cut off when Parniel shot him a glare.
Grinding her teeth, Parniel slowly lowered her mace. As a Saintess, she could not let such words go unchallenged.
However, since everyone was holding her back, she had no choice but to restrain herself. She didn’t want any unnecessary sacrifices either.
Suppressing her boiling anger, she glared at Arterion.
Arterion, amused by the situation, continued speaking.
"Judging by your aura, you must be a Saintess. The Saintess of this era is truly lacking. To think you can only wield the power of a single goddess."
"Do not spout nonsense. A Saintess is chosen by only one goddess."
"Hmm… I suppose that means the goddesses are incapable of fully wielding their power."
"Silence!"
"But… there is another Saintess."
Ignoring the growling Parniel, Arterion turned his gaze toward Piote.
Piote, flustered, quickly spoke up.
"I… I’m not a Saintess."
"What are you saying? Your power is weaker than hers, but I can sense a fundamental divine force within you."
"But I’m… a man?"
"……."
Arterion was momentarily taken aback.
A man could not be a Saintess. And yet, there was no mistaking it Piote radiated the same divine presence as a Saintess.
It was incomprehensible. A Dragon Lord like himself misreading the aura of a goddess?
Moreover, no matter how he looked at him, Piote looked like a woman. Not just an exceptionally handsome man he simply looked like a woman.
Without realizing it, Arterion ended up asking a rather foolish question.
"Why do you look like that?"
"…I have no idea."
Piote pouted in response.
It wasn’t his fault that he looked so pretty.
To think even a dragon would mistake him for a woman, it was beyond frustrating.
Even those who had been tense burst into laughter. Everyone covered their mouths, trying to stifle their amusement.
Seeing their reaction, Arterion let out a hearty chuckle.
"The human world truly has changed a lot."
They were undoubtedly tense, yet there was an odd sense of composure among them. It meant they were prepared to fight him if necessary.
Even a thousand years ago, there were hardly any who could behave like this in front of a dragon. Only The Hero and his companions had managed to do so.
Feeling pleased by the nostalgia, he waved his hand.
A small table and chairs appeared between him and Ghislain. They had been taken out from a subspace, but it looked as if they had materialized from thin air.
"Sit. I’m now interested in hearing you out."
Ghislain took a seat without resistance. Arterion gazed at him intently and asked,
"Alright, tell me how exactly can you be of use to me?"
"……."
Ghislain remained silent for a moment.
This was indeed a dragon. The overwhelming killing intent and pressure were directed at him alone. It was a test.
He gathered his mana not to release it, but simply to endure.
"Ho…."
Arterion let out a quiet exclamation, his gaze turning slightly more intrigued.
Ignoring that look, Ghislain calmly began his explanation.
"We are also tracking down the remnants of the Salvation Church. If there’s a way to find the Adversary, using us would be more effective than blindly searching on your own. We have people stationed all across the continent who can track down any traces."
He also emphasized that the United Human Army could assist Arterion in various ways.
Arterion listened carefully.
It wasn’t a bad proposal. In fact, it was far more rational than his original plan.
Finding the Adversary alone wouldn’t be easy. If the Adversary was determined to hide among humans, then locating them would be nearly impossible.
However, humans were spread across the entire continent. If he used them, even if the Adversary tried to hide, they could be found quickly.
Arterion nodded.
"Your proposal is flawless. I have no reason to refuse."
He meant it. If he could achieve his goal more quickly and conveniently, why would he turn it down?
Hearing his response, the people around them let out sighs of relief. He had been more reasonable than expected.
It made them wonder why Ereneth had been so concerned.
But Ghislain remained cautious.
‘Something is off.’
Arterion still radiated an overwhelming presence, perfectly fitting the image of an arrogant absolute ruler.
And yet… there was an unmistakable sense of distraction about him.
‘Especially those eyes.’
In his past life, he had never spoken with Arterion at such a close distance, in a human form.
Because of that, he had never noticed it before.
A faint red hue was mixed within Arterion’s azure eyes as if his blood vessels had burst.
‘This bastard… is he really not in his right mind?’
In his past life, Arterion had done nothing but mindless destruction, leading him to be labeled a Mad Dragon.
It had been the obvious conclusion.
That was why the United Human Army had fought with all their might to kill him. There had been no need for conversation.
Even now, in those blue eyes, faint traces of madness flickered intermittently.
After nodding a few times, Arterion spoke again.
"Alright. So, I just need to go with you? When do we set off—"
He suddenly stopped mid-sentence.
Once again, his mind turned hazy, as if enveloped in fog.
He felt something crawling inside his head, like insects skittering about. The moment he focused on the sensation, countless thoughts rushed in at once.
‘Wait… why was I trying to go to the Turian Kingdom?’
‘What have I even been doing all this time?’
‘There was something I had to do… wasn’t there?’
He was supposed to find the Adversary. He was supposed to kill him.
But right now, there was no need for that. The humans had offered to help.
And yet… shouldn’t he still go?
With a vacant expression, Arterion muttered to himself.
"…Right. Because the Adversary is there."
"What?"
"I have to find the Adversary and kill him."
"Didn’t we just say we would help you do that?"
"It’s a good proposal. But…"
Arterion’s words trailed off as he stared straight at Ghislain with a blank expression.
A heavy silence settled over them.
Then, slowly, Arterion spoke again.
"That reminds me… I suddenly have a question."
"……."
Crack!
Suddenly, he grinned his mouth stretching grotesquely wide, nearly to his ears.
His azure eyes were now completely dyed in crimson.
At that moment, an eerie, bone-chilling presence filled the entire area.
"Why should I let these insect-like humans live? Wouldn't it be easier to just kill them all?"
At the same time, Ghislain moved.
Like a bolt of lightning, his sword was unsheathed without the slightest hesitation, he swung it straight for Arterion’s neck.