Chapter 507

C507

The sound of someone catching their breath was heard.

It wasn’t a very loud sound. However, it resonated with such intensity that it seemed to represent the feelings of everyone present. Among them, Contanias gazed at the scene with trembling eyes, unable to process what he was seeing.

‘What… what is happening?’

As far as Contanias knew, the Guardian Dragon of the Empire, Arculainisis, used to call Alon Palatio “father,” and in fact, she called him that as soon as she saw him. Up to that point, though shocking to witness, it wasn’t entirely strange. However, the words that followed were impossible to comprehend.

‘… Concubines?’

Contanias looked with uneasy eyes at the two women standing behind Alon Palatio. Of course, it wasn’t unusual for royalty to have several concubines, but the dissonance didn’t lie in the fact itself, but rather in the fact that it was the Guardian Dragon saying it.

Clinging to Alon Palatio as if he were her property, with tears still in her eyes but a smile on her lips, the Guardian Dragon had said it clearly: “I am glad to see you, my concubines!”.

… It wasn’t that it was a forbidden word. But it wasn’t something that should be said in that situation, with such a triumphant smile of victory.

‘Wait, how is the family tree set up here?’

Contanias began to mentally reorganize the relationship map. The Guardian Dragon of the Empire, Arculainisis, and Alon Palatio are father and daughter. The two women accompanying him are, according to the Guardian Dragon, concubines. However, the Guardian Dragon addressed her father’s concubines with a provocative smile, calling them “concubines” not as a daughter, but as if she were the “primary wife.”

As soon as he reached that thought, Contanias instinctively shook his head.

‘No, it can’t be.’

Thinking his imagination had gone too far, Contanias shook his head. He knew well that even thinking such a thing was a sign of disrespect. But just as he finished that thought, his gaze moved to Alon Palatio‘s waist. More precisely, to the Guardian Dragon’s tail wrapped around it.

“Remember it well, Prince: if the great Guardian Dragon wraps their tail around someone’s waist, it means that person has become their partner.”

“Really?”

“Yes, usually dragons only act like that with their life partner.”

“I see.”

Recalling the words he heard long ago from his tutor, Contanias’s expression hardened instantly. But, after a moment…

—Fuu.

Contanias composed himself once more. His tutor had told him, yes, but in the end, he wasn’t a dragon expert either and was only telling him what he had read in ancient books. That is, the tutor’s information might not be accurate. Just as he tried to shift his thoughts:

—… What do you mean by that, Ar?

Rine, who until a moment ago had an expression of total bewilderment, opened her mouth. To this, the Guardian Dragon —no, Ar—, although she was still shedding tears of joy for the reunion with Alon Palatio, replied:

—Dad has nothing to worry about; from now on I, his “primary wife,” will assist him.

—… Eh?

—Ah?

Rine and Penia let out gasps of suppressed astonishment. The gazes of the soldiers, including Contanias, who were stupefied by the situation, turned in unison toward Alon Palatio. It was logical. The Guardian Dragon called Alon Palatio “dad,” but at the same time referred to herself as the “primary wife.”

There was only one possible conclusion. The soldiers, forgetting even the presence of the Guardian Dragon, looked at Alon Palatio with an expression of absolute disgust, as if they were looking at trash.

—… T-this, Alon-nim. This is a bit…

—Hum.

Evan and Deus also looked at Alon Palatio with extremely strange expressions. And Alon Palatio…

—Wait a minute, it’s a misunderstanding!

He shouted loudly, something unusual for him, before trying to analyze the situation.

Shortly after, following Alon Palatio‘s desperate explanations that returned normality to the eyes of Contanias and the soldiers, Alon sent them all out.

—And I trusted you guys…

Alon Palatio glared at Evan and Deus for a moment, sighed, and looked at Ar. She still had her tail wrapped around his waist, her eyes swollen from crying, but with a radiant smile.

—Master!

Noticing Alon looking at her, Ar opened her arms and smiled. She seemed to be screaming for a hug, so Alon wrapped his arms around her without realizing it. If she were an adult woman it would have been overwhelming, but Ar’s human form after the Harmonization was that of a small girl.

‘Well, remembering the dragons from fantasy…’

Then, Alon noticed something.

—… The way you call me has changed.

—Mmm? Oh, do you mean “Master”?

—Yes.

At Alon’s nod, she let out a giggle.

—It’s all for your own good!

—… For my good?

—Yes! Only for you!

“In what sense will it be for my good?” Alon thought. But soon…

—Mmm… it’s the story of what happened after you disappeared.

Ar began to naturally recount what had happened after Alon’s departure. He listened intently; after all, he also wanted to know how she had become the Guardian Dragon of the Empire. He concentrated on Ar’s words. After some time…

—And that’s how it happened.

—… So, you became the Guardian Dragon of the Empire for my sake?

Ar finished her story. A tale of a much larger scale than expected.

—Yes! For you!

At Ar’s proud and smiling exclamation, Alon mentally reviewed what she had told him. After his departure, Ar lived alone. Normally for a Draconian, living alone would be impossible, but she could do it because she wasn’t a “Draconian,” but a “Dragon.”

Alon was surprised at this point. When he saved her, he was convinced she was a Draconian. She wasn’t strong enough to be a dragon and had even been on the verge of dying pathetically before the soldiers of that time. However, thinking about it, she never said she was a Draconian. Alon, Penia, and Rine simply assumed it due to her weakness back then. Besides, he seemed to recall that Ar had referred to herself as a dragon once.

Anyway, while she lived as a dragon, she met a human who made her a proposal: to become the Guardian Dragon of the Empire. It was the first emperor of the Empire. And Ar accepted the proposal because of the condition the emperor offered. The emperor, who had conquered half the continent, offered her the remains and the hearts of dragons that had been annihilated by sins and darkness hundreds of years ago.

Ar accepted because she needed dragon hearts. More precisely, she desired power. Absolute power to protect what she loved. Thus, Ar became the Guardian Dragon and absorbed dozens of dragon hearts scattered throughout the Empire.

—Master! Now I will protect you!

All to protect the Alon she would one day reunite with.

—… Thank you for thinking of me.

—Huhu! It’s only natural to think of you!

Ar smiled happily at Alon’s gratitude. Her tail, wrapped around his waist but wagging cheerfully, betrayed her good mood.

—… Even so, it wasn’t necessary for you to tie yourself to the Empire for my sake…

Alon spoke cautiously. He was genuinely grateful for what she did for him, but he didn’t want to see her give up her freedom for his cause.

—Mmm, you don’t have to worry about that, Master.

—… Oh, no?

—No! The reason I became the Guardian Dragon was also to give you this Empire as a gift! That’s why I introduced you as my father!

—… Is that why?

—Yes! In this Empire, there is no one above me! That means, as the father of the Guardian Dragon, no one in the Empire is above you!

Ar made a “huhu, aren’t I amazing?” face. Alon finally understood why she had called him father in public.

—… A woman who brings an entire Empire as a dowry… this has no rival.

—I agree.

Evan and Deus added their comments with profound expressions after hearing Ar. However, they had to look away immediately. Penia and Rine were looking at them with eyes full of murderous intent.

—Ahem… Deus, why don’t we step out for a moment?

—I think that’s a wise choice.

Faced with the gazes of both, Evan and Deus left without hesitation. As soon as they were alone, Rine, who hadn’t said a word, spoke:

—Ar?

—What is it, concubine?

Crunch!

A chilling sound was heard in the background at Ar’s word. But Rine continued unfazed:

—Where does this “concubine” thing come from?

—I’m curious too —Penia added, smiling coldly.

Ar pointed to herself as if asking something obvious.

—Me, primary wife. —Then she pointed to the other two—. Concubines.

Ar made an “OK?” face. The smiles of Penia and Rine grew tighter. Though they were smiling, the light in their eyes was gradually disappearing.

—Then, could I ask under what logic you have reached those titles?

Ar pointed to herself again.

—Me, great dragon. —Then she pointed to the other two—. Humans.

Ar made the “OK?” face again. At that indescribable expression —bewildering to a normal person, but extremely irritating to Rine and Penia— the two looked at each other.

“What is she saying?”

“No idea.”

“Shall we kill her?”

“Why not?”

Noticing they were communicating telepathically without saying a word, Alon intervened to correct the situation.

—Ar, first, I have no intention of getting married yet and, above all, I have no intention of marrying you.

—Eh?

Ar wore an expression of total shock. Alon quickly added:

—Didn’t you introduce me as your father?

—… Is that strange, Master?

—… Do you think a father and a daughter can get married?

At Alon’s question, Ar regained her usual expression.

—They can’t?

—… Isn’t it obvious?

—Mmm… —Ar meditated for a moment—. Even so, it’s fine!

—Why?

—Among dragons, consanguineous marriages are common! I remember hearing long ago that my great-grandparents were father and daughter!

—That is information I didn’t want to know at all…

Alon wondered for a moment if dragons weren’t really the intellectual species he thought, but he regained his composure.

—And Ar, the two of them are not concubines.

—Eh? They aren’t?

—No.

—Mmm…?

Ar tilted her head. She seemed not to understand something and looked from one side to the other.

—… What’s wrong? —Alon asked.

Ar replied:

—Well… even when they are so openly spreading pheromones that they like you?

She let it out with total naturalness.