Chapter 74: The White and the Red Dragon

Calm down, Karishara! She doesn't mean to hurt you! Probably!

What do you mean, probably?! Where else would you find a Fairy Queen as merciful as me?!

Leave the healing to me, and all of you chase Karishara!

Then I shall stay here as well and protect Lueira!

No, if someone's staying, I think it should be Morgana.

She's the root cause of this entire misunderstanding right...

Listen when someone is speaking, you cowardly idiot dragon!

Have you already forgotten the conversational etiquette I drilled into you?!

Then I'll have to make your body remember!

Hey! You're supposed to be making excuses, not scaring her even more!

Hey, hey! I'm coming too! Hey!

3. Primeval Forest

87 lines

We chased Karishara with all the strength we had.

Uuugh... I should've eaten more breakfast...

But Morgana collapsed first in the end.

...Should we just leave her here?

So while we had no choice but to take a short break...

A-are you all right, Morgana? Are you hurt anywhere?!

No, she's probably just hungry.

But don't worry, Bedi. I knew this might happen, so I made a special energizing snack just for Morgana.

Here you go, Morgana! It's apple pie! And it's still warm!

The three who had caught up to us ended up worrying about her instead.

Apple... pie...!

Mm. We really should just leave her here.

This is all my fault.

If I'd been more careful from the start, Morgan wouldn't have had to waste her mana...

Hey, don't say that even as a joke. You'll spoil her rotten.

Munch...! For a supreme being like me... Gulp...!

Munch...! being appropriately shameless... Gulp...! is natural, proper, and perfectly reasonable!

If you're the standard for "proper and reasonable," this world is doomed.

Well, there were a few accidents, but we got a lead.

Are you feeling all right now, Lueira? Does it hurt anywhere?

No, I'm fine now.

Thank you so much. Thanks to you, I avoided something terrible.

Ahaha... Though I think we might be that something terrible.

So, Lueira, what brings you here?

We heard all kinds of dragons have been gathering in this forest lately...

We're short on time, so I'll get straight to the point. We're looking for Karishara.

Her personality is exhausting... I mean, a little strange, but she's still a Dragon Lord, right?

Dragons gathering right when she went missing can't be a coincidence.

As expected of the Swordbringer. You're exactly right.

Excuse me, I'm the one who deduced that much, not Ethan.

Ahem. Nuisance Freeloader Queen, keep quiet.

Ah... yes. My apologies. I'll stay in my corner for today.

Since you don't have time... I'll keep this brief.

I came to ask Karishara to become Dragon Lord again.

And the other dragons are probably here for the same reason.

What? But Karishara is already the Dragon Lord, isn't she?

Hmm... I think I understand what happened. I happen to be in a similar position myself.

Right, Karishara was on Earth for a long time.

Either the Lord's seat stayed empty all that time, or some other dragon seized it.

A monarch who abandoned her throne... Ahaha... That doesn't feel like someone else's problem.

Naturally, there are many dragons on the continent across the sea. And naturally, many of them harbor ambitions.

The current Dragon Lord in particular is infamous as a cunning and brutal tyrant.

The Third Dragon Lord, Eupraxia.

She's younger than I am, yet she's a terrifying child who forced every dragon in the Ygritte Empire to submit.

Even now, countless dragons... are being mobilized for war like human soldiers.

Hold on, hold on, hold on. That's way too much information all at once. I'm getting dizzy.

First of all, that much-younger kid made every dragon in the empire submit, right?

And she's even sending them to war. Can Karishara really handle someone that major?

One wrong move and the sparks could fly all the way to Britannia.

Ah, come to think of it, you wouldn't know.

Karishara is unbelievably strong, even among dragons. Stronger than I was in my prime, in fact.

She could probably blow away this entire forest with a single breath.

.......

.......

.......

Elizabeth, I think there was something strange in that apple pie you gave her earlier.

I agree. There's no way Morgana would say something like that.

S-she must still be hungry!

What is this subtly irritating reaction?

I'm a fairy who gives credit where it's due!

I mean, it is shocking that someone whose confidence is lethal in every situation is acknowledging someone else.

Didn't you say earlier that you were the one who subdued Karishara? But she's stronger than you?

You experienced it yourself, so you should know. Karishara hates pain enough to die over it, and she hates fighting even more.

If we fought head-on, even I couldn't be certain of victory...

...But making her beg me to kill her instead is easy enough.

.......

.......

.......

Wow. Just for a moment there, she looked like an actual villain.

To think the Pendragon royal family's blessing was the product of torture and threats...

Y-you need to give Karishara a proper apology later! You absolutely must!

Humans would've been in danger if I hadn't stepped in! You should be grateful!

Well... in any case, Lueira's conclusion is correct.

Even if Karishara never stands on the battlefield herself, her mere existence can serve as a deterrent.

Yes. It would be enough if she became the Lord again.

Then at least the dragons who rebel against Eupraxia would have someone to turn to.

W-we'll help too! Somehow, we'll put Karishara back in the Lord's seat!

Though... I don't know whether she'll be happy about it...

That's right. Whatever the circumstances, she is Britannia's guardian dragon.

On the honor of my father, King Uther! I will restore Karishara to her rightful place!

Heh, everyone, just leave it to me.

Catching one cowardly dragon will be a piece of...

Ahem. Freeloader Nuisance Queen, sit this one out.

She's only running because she's scared of you, isn't she? If you butt in now, you'll just be fanning the flames.

.......

Nnnnngh! Just you all watch!

I will restore the Fairy Queen's honor, no matter what!

4. Primeval Forest

56 lines

After many twists and turns, we set out after Karishara again.

E-everyone! Ethan is being dragged off by tree roots again!

Uwaaaaaah! Why does this always happen to me whenever trees are involved?!

Heh, it seems my turn has come once again.

Leave it to me! With a spell precise enough to burn only the roots...!

Don't!

The forest seemed to move as if it were alive, blocking our path until we were stuck.

Uuugh... I'm covered in leaves and dirt from head to toe.

Something feels strange. It's as if the forest has a will and is trying to stop us...

Is this fairy magic too? Or is it Karishara's power?

At the very least, it probably isn't Karishara's work.

She's just absurdly strong. She doesn't have the knack for handling magic this intricate.

Besides, Fire Dragons specialize in flame magic to begin with.

This feels... more like the same type of magic as mine.

The root of a Water Dragon's magic is water.

Like spring flowing into winter, and winter flowing back into spring. It is a power that lets all things circulate naturally.

They say ancient dragons could turn deserts into grasslands, and grasslands into forests, with a mere gesture.

Wow... Lueira, you're already incredibly strong. Are you saying there's someone even more amazing than you?

I'm merely a mutation that happened to specialize in ice magic. I'm still a young and inexperienced dragon.

By contrast, the mana circulating through this forest is like mist... no, almost like a waterfall.

To make an entire forest move on its own... Who could have left behind magic this incredible?

Avalon is the land of fairies, right? Morgana, did you do this and forget about it?

...Or maybe it was Oberon, the original Fairy Queen.

I suspected that at first too. So I analyzed the spell formulas engraved into this forest whenever I had a spare moment on the way here.

But would you look at that? Every single formula is written in ancient grammar that is barely used anymore.

The only ones who could do something this absurd in such an inefficient way would be dragons.

A very long time ago, some dragon inscribed formulas into the ley lines, and something caused them to awaken.

I don't know much about magic, but I can guess that "something" was Karishara.

First the World Tree we met not long ago, and now this mysterious forest trying to protect Karishara.

Somehow, every tree in this world seems suspicious. I hope it's just my imagination.

Whoever it is, they have some nerve. Hiding such messy magic in the land of this Fairy Queen...

Still, this has made things much easier.

No matter how powerful the magic is, once I understand the structure of its formulas, I can turn it to my advantage.

Whatever you do, be careful. Your nuisance levels seem lethal today too.

Would you listen first? This spell is far safer than 「Dragon Explosion」.

Dragon Explosion... So that really was the spell's name.

D-did you develop that spell yourself, Morgana...?!

Please apologize at once! To every dragon in the world!

Nnnnngh!! This time I'm only trying to seize control of the forest!

We can't leave a dangerous forest like this alone anyway, so I might as well use it to catch Karishara while I'm at it.

Our objective is to find three ley-line points where the formulas overlap or intersect.

Breaking such antiquated magic is child's play, so all of you stay close behind me.

.......

.......

.......

Elizabeth, was there something strange in the lunch we ate earlier?

Why does she suddenly look competent?

Well... Morgana was always competent.

The problem is that all her other trouble cancels it out.

B-but we always rely on her!

Do your best, Morgana! Don't let a few tiny mistakes get you down! You can do it! You can do it!

I-it isn't Morgan's fault!

If only I'd been more careful from the start...

.......

Nnnnngh! I can't take this anymore!!

In the name of this Fairy Queen, Morgan le Fay! This time, I will prove my worth!

5. Primeval Forest

72 lines

Hahh... hahh... hahh... hahh...!

N-now... only the final step... remains!

I've modified the formulas and taken control of the forest...

Now I just have to order it to bring Karishara here...!

Y-yes! You did wonderfully, Morgana!

Would you like me to pat your head? Or perhaps a lap pillow?!

Bedi, that isn't the kind of half-measure reward she needs right now.

What she needs is a clear and tangible form of our sincere recognition. In other words...

Here you go, Morgana! An apple pie offered to the capable Fairy Queen!

Thanks to the magic warming box Merlin gave me, it's still steaming hot!

Apple... pie...!

I still think there's something weird in that pie.

.......

Um... Swordbringer? This is... well, how should I put it...

...What happened to Morgan?

She seems a little... no, very different from the Morgan I knew.

Stuff happened. Ever since she lost the power of reincarnation, I guess she's let go of a lot.

Still, doesn't she look happy? Everyone needs someone they can let themselves be childish around.

...Perhaps you're right.

The Morgan from those days had sides of herself she had to hide, sides I was never able to see.

I'm glad. All those sacrifices weren't for nothing.

Hm? What did you say at the end there?

Hehe, just talking to myself.

Something I'd like to keep to myself until the time comes...

Yeah? I think I kind of get what that feels like.

Well, maybe we'll have a chance to talk it over someday...

I finally found her!! And caught her too!!!

Did you really think you could escape me?! You cowardly idiot dragon!

Surrender quietly! This forest has now become the Fairy Queen's domain completely!

Oooh...! You found Karishara already?!

You're amazing, Morgana! I'll give you three days' worth of praise all at once!

Uh... I don't see anything. Where is Karishara?

And the forest has been awfully noisy for a while now...

Karishara is currently being dragged here by tree vines.

This forest is as good as my own hands and feet now, so even the Dragon Lord is in the palm of my hand.

Let's just hope that coward doesn't accidentally fire off a breath attack.

Still, I'm glad this got resolved quickly. There were a few accidents, but...

Kyaaaah!

L-Lueira?!

Hey, freeloader! What the hell are you doing?! The vines are dragging Lueira away too!

What? Th-that can't be right...?!

Ah... Don't tell me it's because I set the capture target to dragons...?!

A moment later, the former Dragon Lord's roar echoed from far away.

Eeeeeeeek!!

At the sight of all respect for dragons being hurled straight into the afterlife, we could only stare in a daze.

I-I knew this would happen! Y-you were planning to kill me through a humiliation worse than death from the very start, weren't you?!

Mmph...! Mmmph... Nnnnngh!

Uuugh... N-now even Lueira...

R-right... A nuisance freeloader dragon like me... ...D-dying of shame like this can't be helped...!

But I'll save my friend...! Even if it means losing my little sister's final gift...!

Calm down, Karishara! You mustn't use flame magic here!

Morgana! Please release them both at once!

Th-this is... something that must not happen, in so many ways!

Stop rushing me and wait a moment! Handling magic this complicated isn't easy!

The problem is that I set the capture target as dragons... If I just fix that...

Should I change the standard entirely to the Red Dragon's mana? No, then Elizabeth will end up like that this time...

I feel like something terrifying just slipped past my ears?!

Hey! Didn't you say this forest was as good as your hands and feet?!

How does the scale of your trouble keep getting bigger?!

Ahh... ah...! Uwaaaah...!

Aah...!? N-not there... not there! Not there...!

I... I'm so embarrassed I could die... No, just kill me!

Nnngh... This is all my fault... ngh...!

Because of me... Morgana felt pressured...! Nnngh?!

That's it. At this point, we have no choice but to cut the vines!

Elizabeth! Bedivere! Let's go!

Y-yes...! Please hold on, both of you!

I-is it really all right for me to go near them...?

I'm worried because of what Morgana said earlier...

Yes, that's it!

This time, if I change the capture standard to the Red Dragon's mana and cast a separate protection spell on Elizabeth...!

Please just don't do anything!!!

6. Primeval Forest

156 lines

.......

...Why? Why didn't you let me die?

Nothing means anything anymore... The rest of my life will only be shame...

It's all right, Karishara.

...Even after suffering a hardship worse than death, we're together, just like back then.

Even if the scars will never fade...

.......

Hey, nuisance, all-talk, incompetent Freeloader Queen.

Yes...

Apologize.

...Yes, I'm sorry.

I am the nuisance, all-talk, incompetent Freeloader Queen. Yes...

D-don't be too discouraged, Morgana!

Everyone makes a mistake once... Ah, n-no, maybe twice...!

No, no! Even three times is still possible!

Let's cheer up and keep going! You can do it! You can do it!

T-this is terrible! We're out of apple pie!

At this rate, Morgana's mind won't last much longer...?!

You can only indulge her so much. Don't blame me if you spoil her until she turns out wrong.

Well, that's enough cleaning up after the Nuisance Queen.

First, Karishara. And I have a favor to ask Lueira too, since we happened to meet her.

Yes. If it's something I can help with, gladly.

A... favor...? If I just do what you say...

...Will you kill me painlessly...?!

I'm not killing you.

Eeeeeek!

Y-you really are going to make me suffer without even letting me die...!

I don't have that hobby either.

Um... We would like both of you to examine Elizabeth's condition.

Because she stayed in the 「Sea of Stars」 for too long... she...

......!! E-excuse me! May I touch your soul for a moment?

M-my soul? Ah, yes... please do.

Hwaaaah?! It's c-cold!

.......

Karishara, this is...!

Th-the shell of her soul has melted away completely... Yes, like a snowflake touching your hand.

My blessing is dangerous because it's so powerful. It's like wearing an unquenchable flame around your soul...

So I made it so the mana would be suppressed unless she was in danger...

So my soul is always in danger right now.

And I suddenly became stronger because Karishara's mana is no longer suppressed.

Th-then can't we just suppress Karishara's mana?!

No. That would be even more dangerous.

Right now, the Red Dragon's Blessing is serving as a substitute for the "vessel of her soul."

But of course, we can't keep things this way forever. It's literally no different from placing her soul atop a flame.

I don't care about the theory. What matters is whether you can heal Elizabeth.

.......

...S-sorry... I can't.

In Earth terms, it would take magic as delicate as heart surgery.

I'm bad at that kind of thing... and I can only handle flame magic in the first place...

I'm sorry. I doubt I can do it either.

Ice magic is the opposite of flame magic. When a hot flame and cold ice meet, one side disappears, or...

...In the worst case, the mana could run wild.

Th-that can't be... Is there really no way?

We don't even know how much time she has left...!

.......

...Let's change the subject. Karishara, what is this forest?

U-umm...!? Ah... w-well...

Managing Avalon is one of the Fairy Queen's duties.

But in all my years tending this place, I've never seen the entire forest come alive and move.

Nor have I ever seen anyone skilled enough to make magic like this function on its own.

But if I expand the range to the past, before I was even born...

...There was exactly one dragon capable of doing something this absurd.

Mmm... S-so you really do know about that child.

Yes. This forest is a gift my little sister left me.

A refuge where I could hide in peace... yes, something like a secret base.

Huh? You have a little sister?

I heard a similar legend when I was young. In ancient Britannia, the 「White Dragon」 and the 「Red Dragon」 ruled.

...But the White Dragon suddenly disappeared, and the age of dragons ended.

It's so old now that it belongs more to myth than history.

It also caused all sorts of incidents, including a great war and Avalon going up in flames.

But what's important right now is the missing White Dragon.

The First Dragon Lord, 「Arshara the Eternal」.

Yes. If it were her, she could certainly heal Elizabeth.

I've never met her in person, but traces of her miraculous magic remain everywhere.

So Arshara was the first, Karishara the second, and Eupraxia, the current Lord, is the third.

Wait. According to you, that White Dragon vanished at least several thousand years ago, right?

We're talking archaeological scale here... Do we have any clues?

Th-there is a clue...! Though it may be a little... no, very dangerous...

There's a legend in the Ygritte Empire that says you can meet Arshara.

.......

The Ygritte Empire?! You mean the country where that idiot Lucius is emperor?!

Oooh... I've heard of it too! The legend of the Holy Sword passed down on the continent across the sea!

Just as Britannia has Excalibur, the Ygritte Empire has a Holy Sword that proves one's right to rule!

「Alba Mors」. The empire's Holy Sword, whose name means "White Death" in the ancient dragon tongue.

According to legend, the hero who obtains the Holy Sword can receive the 「White Dragon's Blessing」.

I didn't want to rely on a story this childish and fairy-tale-like, with such unclear origins...

...Tch. At this point, we have no choice.

R-right... Even if we can't meet Arshara... If we can truly obtain the White Dragon's Blessing...

It may harmonize with m-my mana and stabilize her soul.

It will be very difficult, but... yes, that child was always good at such things.

In theory, it should be entirely possible.

The White Dragon's magic seeks harmony and balance, which is exactly the power Elizabeth needs most right now.

But the Ygritte Empire...? That's basically enemy territory!

Never mind finding the Holy Sword, I doubt we could even move around freely there...

No, there is a way.

The Ygritte Empire's territory is vast, so power is divided among influential figures across its regions.

And among them, there should be some who do not want war.

Come to think of it, Mordred gave us a crash course about this before.

He said there was someone we absolutely had to bring to our side to prevent all-out war with the Ygritte Empire.

Then it's settled. Our next destination is the Ygritte Empire.

Honestly... It looks like this journey will be another long one.

No big deal. We're all experts at finding Holy Swords, aren't we?

Compared to last time, when we had no clues at all, this is a muuuuch better situation.

Yes, we're all experts.

Experts who didn't know the Holy Sword was right under our noses, or that its true nature was a human sacrifice tool.

Ugh, fighting with facts is dirty...

Still, we've finally found a clue to saving Elizabeth!

I'm so glad... truly, truly glad!

Yes. I'm sure everything will work out.

I will protect my life... and Britannia's peace.

I'm glad we were able to help.

Surely my meeting all of you again was no mere coincidence.

I don't need an inevitable fate where innocent dragons get blasted with magic out of nowhere.

I said I'm sorry about that, didn't I?!

Oh, right. Come to think of it, didn't you have business with Karishara too, Lueira?

Yes. I was just about to bring it up.

Karishara, you already know, don't you? Why the dragons, including myself, have gathered here.

......!!!

...N-no... Not that. Anything but that...!

Guardian of the oldest flame, and bearer of the second reverse scale.

For our kin who have wandered for long ages with nowhere to go, and to reclaim the dignity that should have been ours.

Once more... become the Lord of all dragons...

N-no!!!

No... No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no!!

Anything but that!!

K-Karishara?! Please calm down!

Ugh...?! Wh-what is this...?! It's affecting the mana inside me too...?!

A-are you okay, Elizabeth?!

Hey, freeloader! Anyone can see something's wrong! Do something!

H-how... No, why?

This mana... It must be hers...!

Why... Why won't everyone just leave me alone...?

Someone like me can't do anything anyway... I'll just fail again...

The moment I returned to Britannia... I felt it. I couldn't help but feel it...!

The curse that the 「Witch」 carved into this world...!

......!!!

What did you just say? Don't tell me you met Oberon?!

Hey, hey! You calm down too! Can't you see how terrified she is right now?!

That's exactly what makes this strange! Karishara is far stronger than me... no, far stronger than even Oberon!

Then what is she so afraid of?! What in the world happened to her?!