Chapter 184: Empire’s Eight Seats (1)
A lot had changed.
No, to be precise, it would be correct to say that we were in the middle of a change. My top priority was to gain ownership rights over Dialugia.
This proved to be an easier process than I thought.
Originally, Castle Rock had already decided to reward me; and the idea that the most active group of this expedition was the Blue Guild spread everywhere.
Some guilds and clans felt regretful, but they decided not to complain. The fact that we had saved their hometown was indeed true, and we had no obligation to provide them with Dialugia’s precious scales or leather.
It was a little selfish, but Dialugia was definitely by my own achievement. Just the idea of sharing her already felt strange.
The only problem was the damage Dialugia inflicted on Castle Rock.
Although the bereaved family should be given sufficient compensation, it is natural that this alone would be insufficient.
I solved that by expressing my gratitude to Castle Rock for giving me enough rewards privately.
Of course, it couldn’t be finished, but I was able to somehow get it done.
There were suspicions about whether Dialugia was the main culprit of the monster wave, but of course, the Heretical Interrogators ruled out this suspicion for my sake.
‘Having power is good because of this.’
With this matter, I properly used my Honorary Bishop position, which had not been used until now. Starting with the Archbishop of Judah, whose roots were in Castle Rock, I sought help from those in high positions of the Pope’s side, whom I had stayed in touch with. This resulted from constant petitions to Bishop Jessica, Director of the Inquisition Helena, Archbishop Andrine of the Pope’s, and Cardinal Basel, who all loved me.
Since I thought that the secret auction house in Castle Rock’s underground should be maintained, I had to hide the fact that Little Rock kidnapped Tol To-ri and that Tol To-ri was also an entity affected by the monster wave.
I was in a situation where I had no choice but to find a cause other than Dialugia.
The Heretical Inquisitor and the Holy Knights concluded that the monster wave’s cause was an unknown dungeon in Castle Rock’s deep forest. Of course, most humans who did not want to be branded as traitors did not argue with their supposed findings.
All in all, this was an efficient ending.
Of course, the prerequisite for all of this was possible only because Dialugia and I had an official relationship.
‘I am the one who has been chosen by the dragon.’
Officially, Dialugia was a pitiful dragon that had come into the city under the control of an unknown dungeon, which gave her no choice but to choose me to save herself.
Though it sounded terribly cliché, it didn’t sound bad at all. It was certainly better than saying that she had chosen me to save her baby. Besides, there had always been stories of humans being chosen by legendary entities.
Since a legendary-grade named monster came rolling into the arms of the Holy Empire, it was no wonder that the Emperor’s side also actively supported my case. I knew that, though the Imperial Knights were wary of such a creature, they were also hoping that Dialugia would someday become a dragon that would defend the empire.
“Because dragons are precious.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Ah, it’s nothing.”
“Er…”
“Yes?”
“That… Thank you.”
“I’m not sure what you’re expressing gratitude for.”
“In many ways…”
“You don’t have to worry. It’s because of you that things went well.”
“What?”
“Dragons are precious. Since your personal history is longer than the history of the Holy Empire of Benigore, humans feel that your existence is amazing. You have been living for 4,000 years. All the books about dragons are almost lost. The Holy Empire wants to have an intact dragon, just as I want to hold you.”
“Ah…”
“Of course, the power I have has indeed been helpful, but this result is a great result from interests, so you don’t have to thank me. Right, Tol To-ri?
“Kiek! Haaa!”
“Oh, come here, Tol To-ri.”
“Heck! Heck! Heck!”
“Shall we play airplanes with dad?”
“Haaaa! Kiek!”
“Oh! Our Tol To-ri is good! Well done! Well done!”
“Kiek! Kiek! Kiek!”
‘This kid… is so cute.’
I tried not to get too attached, but this baby monster was much cuter than I had expected. Anyone would find it cute, given that it would run as soon as I clapped my hands. Its adorably big eyes kept blinking as it wagged its tail eagerly.
Even its cry, which at first sounded annoying, now sounded like the cutest thing ever.
In his own way, Tol To-ri had secured a permanent place in my heart.
Of course, based on his appearance, it felt like having a pet rather than a real child, but I could now understand why people on Earth were obsessed with keeping animals, like dogs and cats.
“Oh! Come here, Tol To-ri!”
“Haaa!”
“Shall we eat a snack?”
“Kiek! Kiek! Kiek! Haaa! Kiek!”
The way it went all crazy when I said something about snacks and walks made me want to hug the heck out of it.
“D-Didn’t he eat snacks before?”
“In the first place, kids only grow by eating. Right, Tol To-ri?
“Kiek!”
“You’ll eat snacks twice a day. It’s decided.”
“Tol To-ri likes eating this much, so what’s wrong with a snack? Rather, isn’t it good that he can accumulate nutrition?”
“His nutrition intake is already too much. And candy can’t be called good food. It’s a human-made food… After a few years, he can eat as much as he wants, anyway, so it’s good to keep his intake in the right amount now.”
“You don’t like that your mother is too strict, right?”
“Kiek!”
“Dialuria… M-Mom is only saying it for your sake…”
“From tomorrow, I will feed him only two. Let’s eat only one more today, okay, Tol-Tori?”
“Kiek! Haaa!”
The cute kid’s eyes widened as soon as I pulled out another candy from my pocket. As the candy rolled back and forth in front of its eyes, I saw its pupils constantly moving.
Its body was still, but its tail was hitting the floor without mercy. It was also cute to see it running around the room mercilessly once I placed the little candy in its mouth.
“Kiek! Haaa! Haaa!”
“Oh, is our Tol To-ri excited?”
“Haaa! Haaa! Kiek!”
“Well done! Well done!”
Once again, I clapped my hands, and it jumped on the sofa.
It was no exaggeration to say that I gave snacks just to see it react. Dialugia, who claimed that three snacks were not allowed, smiled upon seeing how delighted it was.
It still felt like she was wary of me, but at least now she seemed convinced that I indeed liked Tol To-ri. Anyway, it was natural for her to feel that way.
Without trying hard to imitate being a good father, I was showing the family she had dreamed of.
‘This guy is so cute.’
What she was thinking was so obvious, as I also thought about whether I was giving Tol To-ri a little too much love. Recently, her quietly laughing and looking at me and Tol To-ri became a frequent occurrence.
“Tol To-ri is standing!”
“Oh my, Dialuria!”
Currently, the baby, who had always been crawling on all fours, had now managed to stand firmly on its own two feet. This baby never failed to surprise me with each day that passed by.
‘Grow up quickly and take care of your daddy when he gets old!’
Though I still hoped for that, it didn’t mean that I didn’t genuinely care for Tol To-ri.
The other party members in the Blue were also very fond of him, so it wasn’t unusual for me to feel this way.
Of course, not all the party members found him cute.
“O… Oppa.”
It was that Jung Hayan who had opened the door and came in.
“Ah. Is it Hayan? You worked so hard today.”
“N-No. It wasn’t much. I was just watching the people working… Now, we’ve almost finished clearing the corpses. Are you feeling better now?”
“Yes, I’m healthy now. I only fainted because I exhausted my magic, and I hadn’t received any special injury. What about the others?”
“I think everyone will gather in a bit. Hyunsung asked for a meal with the party members…”
“Okay.”
“Are you free today?”
“Ah, I am.”
“T-That’s fortunate…”
I knew she was thinking that Dialugia and Tol To-ri had managed to take me away. Because of this, I knew I had to start working on bringing Dialugia to my side without making Jung Hayan cry about this new development.
A few days ago, I had enough time to spare for her, but now I was so busy that I couldn’t even sleep properly.
As work was work for me, it wouldn’t have been strange for Jung Hayan to feel robbed.
Dialugia was a monster, but her appearance in human form was quite beautiful, and although I said I would be careful, I knew Hayan would have seen me holding Tol To-ri.
She didn’t say anything but…
‘She may have felt like we were acting like a family.’
What was decisive was the announcement that Dialugia and I were sharing life.
I didn’t know why, but perhaps she was feeling a tremendous sense of loss. This was proven when she refused to come out of her room all day long. Even when I came to visit, she refused to open the door.
She seemed to now devote her time to studying magic, but the results did not appear. No, it would be right to say that they had not yet appeared.
If Jung Hayan was studying magic now, it was inevitably to find a way to connect her life with mine as well.
It was impossible in theory, but perhaps…
‘If it’s her, it could be done.’
She might even conjure up something worse.
Originally, her talent for magic was on the level of genius, and through this wave, she had grown tremendously.
Jung Hayan was also a person who needed management as much as Tol To-ri, so I knew I had to pay more attention to her. Had it been announced that I became the dragon’s spouse, it would have been much more difficult to control her.
Just looking at her willfully ignoring Tol To-ri and Dialugia could tell me that much.
At this, Jung Hayan stepped closer to me.
“Let’s go together now!”
For some reason, I was very much aware of Dialugia and Tol To-ri’s presence. It felt like I was cheating on them both. However, I had no choice but to go along with what Hayan wanted.
“Then I’ll be back, Dialugia.”
“…”
“Dialuria should also stay quiet.”
“Kiek! Haaa!”
“L-Let’s go quickly, Oppa! Everyone might be waiting.”
Though Jung Hayan kept urging me to hurry along, I couldn’t help but notice Tol To-ri’s eyes, which were currently filled with anxiety.
Unfortunately, it would be best to ignore it here.
“Kiek! Kiek!”
“Let’s go quickly, Oppa!”
After closing the door, Hayan breathed out, as if she felt relieved.
Instinctively, I too felt anxious, as if she noticed something. I knew I should be more alert.
“Is there any reason that Hyunsung-ssi said we should meet today?”
“Yes.”
“Eh?”
“Oh, Oppa still… I guess you haven’t heard it.”
“I haven’t. Is there any news?”
“I’m not sure about the details… They’ve been saying that the Holy Empire will elect the Eight Seats this time.”
“What?”
“Rumors say that they’ll be choosing around two people from the Blue Guild.”
‘What’s happening now?’
I felt a little disconcerted by the sudden news.