Chapter 52

Chapter 52: However

However
Chapter 52. However
— What I wish to speak of today, taking advantage of this occasion, concerns Valdrova, who will become my companion.
Among them, those with little courage made gestures as if they might stop breathing.
Seeing such expressions, he rather gained confidence.
— The eastern border, originally a land where all things could roam, was devastated by the Black Dragon, Godwin, turning into a land of death where monsters spawn endlessly.
Ferda gave weight to his words with that confidence.
— The Great Red Dragon, Valdrova, has served for 150 years without any compensation, battling the monsters of the East. However, what is the epithet attributed to my companion?
A name that made everyone tremble with fear.
However, that fear faded and turned into a name of contempt.
A name of mockery.
— Tyrant, Evil Dragon. Monsters always swarm from that distant Demonic Land. They tear off her scales, they rip her flesh. Those claws aim at her foundations and her families. Despite such devotion, she desired nothing. Maintaining silence even amidst heart-wrenching pain, she fought steadfastly. We have received her grace. Even a beast returns grace when it receives it. That is why I opened my mouth on this occasion to clear her dishonor.
Ferda’s gaze scanned the surroundings.
Many people had gathered, but their faces were serious.
Those without interest, those with interest, and those calculating how to use it.
However, their eyes were always directed to a single place.
The Dragon Descendants occupying the front seats.
The masters of mystery, the Aspects, and the retainers of the immortals.
— Did you say Ferda Valdrova Regent?
One of them opened their mouth.
Is it the reaction of the Silver Dragon Descendants?
Contrary to that thought, it was the voice of a noble woman.
Blue hair with horns that were not pointed.
«Was it Erika Iorga?»
It was Erika Iorga, the leader of the Iorga Descendants.
Bright blue hair and eyes, a sharp jawline, and defined features.
Beautiful enough to be believed an imperial princess rather than a leader of Descendants.
She rose from her seat and greeted with an elegant movement.
— It is a pleasure to meet you for the first time, Regent Ferda. I am Erika Iorga, the representative of Iorga and the Master of the Blue-Eyed Tower.
— The pleasure is mine.
— I do not wish to start our first meeting with harsh words, but given that this is a proposal, I will not beat around the bush either.
Erika’s eyes turned toward Ferda.
Sharp pupils, unbefitting the clear sky blue, directed themselves toward Ferda.
— To be frank, the conclusion on that agenda is simply ‘it cannot be done’.
A conviction rooted deep in her eyes pointed at Ferda.
It was not good.
Those eyes were drawing everyone in the Grand Council to her side.
— 150 years ago, the Dragon-Demon War broke out, and Valdrova-nim became a war hero by piercing the heart of Godwin, who had made them fight for 12 years.
A soft and rational tone.
However, Ferda did not take those words at face value.
— But it did not end there. Valdrova-nim could not control her power and entered a frenzy. Many people, many races, many lives died. Do you know how many?
Erika asked Ferda while adding to her words.
— As the future consort of Valdrova-nim, and as the one who presented this proposal, I believe you have researched a lot.
It was a part he had to answer.
If he said he didn’t know, he would only fall into a trap himself.
Ferda told the truth.
— Half of the damage that occurred during the Dragon-Demon War caused by Godwin… that is it.
Half of that number died in half a day.
This was the greatest tragedy recorded in all history books.
— Yes, half. Furthermore, that is the result of 12 years of damage occurring in half a day. And…
Erika subtly turned her head, directing her gaze somewhere.
Goz Silverwind.
— Even the leader of the Silver Dragon, Silverwind, passed away because of it.
Goz Silverwind said nothing.
No, he couldn’t speak.
He was the rather impulsive type who preferred fists to words.
It seemed he clamped his lips tightly, unable to endure the curses he might let out if he opened his mouth.
However, the proponent Ferda showed no signs of backing down.
If he were to cower at this level, he wouldn’t have spoken in the first place.
— The case is different from Godwin’s. At that time, it was an all-out war, all forces of Serdes surrounded Godwin, and many soldiers and beasts had gathered. If one lost control there, becoming easy prey was inevitable.
— What matters is that she lost control at that moment and created sacrifices. Be that as it may, she killed half the number that the Evil Dragon Godwin killed, in half a day.
— She killed Godwin, who terribly tormented the Serdes Continent for 12 years.
— And you killed Silverwind-nim. A brave warrior who cherished others more than anyone, and the greatest leader.
Valdrova, who brought the worst evil dragon and the greatest guardian dragon to death simultaneously in a single day.
Since those two incidents occurred simultaneously, it was a situation where Valdrova’s position could not but collapse.
However, Ferda had proof.
— That frenzy was not Valdrova’s will, nor was it constituted from the essence of the Aspect of Might.
— If not the essence, then what?
— It is merely an incident caused by the contamination of the Chaos that resided in the heart of the Evil Dragon Godwin.
Ferda had many conversations with Mori to bring this story to light.
— Chaos resided in Godwin’s heart. The one who came into closest contact with that Chaos was precisely Valdrova-nim. Since she directly destroyed the source residing in the heart, she would have received its influence, whether she liked it or not.
Erika’s gaze sharpened.
— Certainly, the one closest to Godwin-nim was Valdrova-nim. But you are misunderstanding one thing.
Erika seized the atmosphere once more.
— The one who fought there was not only Valdrova-nim. Everyone fought desperately. There were many more who kept their distance from Godwin and were wounded.
Ferda knew it too. Through cross-checking records, the fact that Valdrova had suffered relatively less damage.
— If the Regent’s words are true, all dragons present should have been affected. Even Iorga-nim, who suffered deep wounds. But that person still stands firm.
Erika turned her gaze.
Toward the old man sitting next to her.
— Is Odograsado-nim alright?
The old man laughed heartily and replied.
— Odograsado-nim is enveloped in bright, golden faith. There is no way he would fall for Godwin’s petty schemes, right?
Faced with the firm denial, Erika lifted her head.
— Look. If your words were true, many should have been eroded and contaminated in the Dragon-Demon War.
— …..
— Did destroying the heart cause Chaos to leak out? Certainly possible. But look now. Unlike the others who overcame those wounds and rose, what is Valdrova-nim doing?
Erika put emotion into her voice.
— She is not trying to protect anything. She is like a beast that has tasted blood. As if the destructive nature that awakened could not be reversed. The only thing that can suppress that nature is the monsters flowing from the Demonic Land, and the reason she chose that is because it is the least troublesome. Then, is it not that she has no will to eliminate the Demonic Land while staying close to it?
Ferda began to see Erika differently.
It was a wall.
Not just any wall.
The wall in the North.
The massive wall erected to block the Frost Giants and demons coming from beyond the Ice Fields.
It is called the Frost Wall.
Ferda had also seen that wall.
There was neither mercy nor tolerance for things beyond that wall.
Erika’s argument was like that wall.
Without giving an inch of leeway, only intolerance and cruelty granted to those who approached.
«Why?»
Ferda felt curious.
«Why is she so desperate to kill?»
He couldn’t understand the struggle to completely alienate Valdrova.
If Goz Silverwind were angry, he would surely understand.
However, the Iorga side, which was unrelated, acted desperate as if leaving no room for reconsideration.
Ferda read the atmosphere.
His eyes unconsciously scanned the entire Grand Council.
Nobles who agreed with her intention.
Alexander, who had been acting as if he were on his side until just now, held his breath and watched the situation.
Perhaps he was calculating politically whether there could be any gain.
“Disgusting.”
In Ferda’s eyes, everything was desperate to kill her, strip her, devour her.
“Expected.”
Whatever politics may be, he knows what humans are.
The moment one draws attention and is attacked, everyone unites to tear them down.
If Ferda did not carry the Valdrova name, they would have been surrounding her to tear her apart one by one.
Ferda always kept this in mind.
“However…”
His insides boil.
The more they boiled, the more coldly Ferda’s face distorted.
He had already dismissed the idea that he could persuade them.
However, it is not easy.
Facing this situation head-on and simply staying still.
Ferda feels a boiling surge from his heart.
The anger he had dismissed and suppressed mocked Ferda.
That is why he asks.
“Valdrova. My heart…”
Must you, even while accepting all this false accusation and contempt,
That which you wish to love,
Must you love and protect it with obstinacy?
Then the overflowing heart began to calm noticeably.
The mockery of anger ceased.
Fragile as if it would break,
Soft as a sprout breaking through the damp dawn earth,
Yet melting his frozen heart,
Deeply engraved in his chest,
That heart,
Answered Ferda’s question.
However,
— Then.
I love everyone.
— I will prove it.
At Ferda’s words, Erika asked.
— Prove it? Exactly what?
— That the reason she made the Far East her base is not merely a latrine to vent her destructive instincts.
Ferda, standing at the podium, shouted more clearly than ever.
— As the representative of the Far East, as Regent of the Grand Duchy of Valdrova, as Valdrova’s fiancé, I declare here, taking advantage of this occasion.
Then, what Ferda had to do was extremely simple.
Just help spread her sturdy wings.
Raising his head proudly, he drove each syllable loudly and distinctly into their ears.
— I will purify and reclaim this land defiled by the Father of Demons, the Source of Chaos, the Evil Dragon Godwin.
It was a declaration of the conquest of the Demonic Land.
At Ferda’s unprecedented declaration, everyone attending the Grand Council began to stir.
— Conquer the Demonic Land?
— Not even the immortal Aspects could handle that land…?
Everyone was surprised with negative reactions.
It could not be helped.
Ever since the Demonic Land was created after the Dragon-Demon War, many attempted to conquer it.
But all who set foot there dreaming of conquest failed.
For 100 full years, countless people tried, but were thwarted and the land was abandoned.
— What the Great Power and Aspect of Fire, Valdrova-nim, desires is the eradication of the monsters that appear in this land. The main goal, the ultimate objective of that eradication, is to conquer the Demonic Land.
A young regent taking on the challenge with ambition.
— Just as she desires the peace of this continent, I too will lend my strength so that everyone may accept that the Evil Dragon is a false reputation.
Ferda’s ambitious word shook the Grand Council greatly.
Ferda was the King Duke’s representative attending the council for the first time today.
At 18 years old, young and inexperienced, it was enough for them to say he was arrogance personified.
Experience and age are important factors that draw attention wherever you go.
But not for Ferda.
They thought it was because Ferda had the Aspect of Valdrova behind him on the surface.
But deeper in the unconscious, it was different.
Perhaps a hope was hidden that this broad-shouldered man could truly achieve it.
— This agenda is…
Blancaros’s voice echoed softly through the conference hall.
Simultaneously, everyone’s voices died down.
Even the Dragon Spawns were surprised to hear his voice.
— Let us speak only up to here, Regent.
Blancaros directly opened his mouth and made a request of Ferda.
Ferda had no choice but to accept that request.
The fact that Blancaros, who manages everything through a representative, spoke directly on his own gave a different weight to his words.
— Thank you for allowing this occasion.
Ferda decided to settle for this for now.
With this, his debut was over.
Ferda returned to his seat, and Blancaros’s mouth continued.
— Let us move to the next item of the day.
After that, trivial things began to be heard.
To Ferda they were just trivial stories; he did not listen carefully.
“Erika Iorga.”
Her name echoed in his head.
The habit of Ferda, who was a vengeance magician, was unconsciously engraving that name deep into his bones.
“A useless act.”
Ferda tried to ignore the old habit.
It was then that.
— Regent Ferda, can you hear me?
Speak of the devil?
Erika’s voice echoed in Ferda’s ear.
She was using telepathy magic.
— I, Erika Iorga, have heard your opinion well.
At her voice, Ferda carefully raised mana to his fingers.
Coalescing it to a non-threatening degree, he touched it lightly to his head.
— I am accepting your opinion positively, and furthermore—.
A sharp cut—.
Like a severed line, the resonance in his head stopped.
Ferda had cut the telepathy she had connected.
At the sudden interruption of communication, Erika’s body flinched.
She subtly turned her head and cast a glance at Ferda.
A look as if asking what that was.
Ferda stared at her in silence and replied.
“Get lost.”
She sent telepathy once more.
— Just a moment, Regent Ferda. I understand you are emotional. Do not block it, listen to what I have to say—.
At times like that, Ferda simply blocked again.
— No, listen to me—.
Telepathy flew, he blocked again.
Thus, for a long 30 minutes until the meeting ended, they fought by sending and blocking messages.