It was the first time I met one of the three divine dragons, the guardian of the world tree, and the water dragon Yeriserika (Piercing Eye). I should say welcome.
Did you say that Jeriserica’s main body cannot move because it has to protect the World Tree?
Although it is a welcome, the serious yet soft tone and the sincere benevolence of Yeriselica’s eyes created an atmosphere of wisdom that could not be dared to be touched.
No one ordered it, but when I came to my senses, everyone, including me, was kneeling down and worshiping the divine dragon.
“Rise up, returned one. It must be I, Jeriserica, who should list the things you have accomplished and express my gratitude.”
I heard that, but I did not dare to straighten my knees in indescribable awe.
「How was the end of Alakish?」
At that moment, I remembered the back of Arakish, who left Aki with me and turned around, and my eyes became teary-eyed.
“As a child of a fire dragon… … He died great and lofty until the end, sealing the abyss.”
A heartbreaking echo of sadness filled the swamp as each white dragon let out its own sigh.
At that moment, Akirea woke up and stretched out her hand to Jerecerica as if she was curious, but Jerecerica looked so sad that a ripple of sadness rippled through my heart as well.
“Come closer, child of Arakish. She resembles her mother and is truly lovely.”
What a surprise… … Aki voluntarily escaped from my arms for the first time and started crawling toward Jerecerica.
No, I wanted to do that, but suddenly he turned around again and came back to me.
The white dragons were more shocked than I was at this sight, but Aki’s choice must have been embarrassing as all dragons, regardless of their corps, served the new dragon as their parent.
「Really, do you already want to live a life worthy of the name Akiraea (freedom)? Do as you please.”
But, as if knowing the outcome, Jerecerica let out a bright smile.
Then a miracle… … Clean water filled the wetlands that had been reeking of decay, and fresh green sprouted here and there.
As all the mortals blinked their eyes openly, Jerichelica began to clear things up in a solemn tone.
“I, Jeriserica, will take the beastmen. Humanity has not yet had the courage to communicate with the beastmen, so when we reluctantly try to unite the beastmen with mankind, we see a future in which blood will overflow all over the land.”
Jeriserica’s judgment was absolute. Just as no one dares to protest against the emperor, no one would rebel against the judgment of a god.
Yeriselica had a ‘pure white dream’ while guarding the World Tree. In that dream, I could observe fragments of the past and fragments of the future.
It was originally the responsibility and authority of only the light dragon Haraderi to look over the current bridle, but now the light dragon was sick and dying, so there was a gap in the realm of observation.
Then, suddenly, the magician Sagan opened his mouth.
“I dare to say this, but if the water dragon said that now, it would mean that the beastmen are really innocent… … .”
Then what did my brother die for? His head was cut off for treason… … That was when I was about to say it.
“Don’t worry, your flesh and blood are all right.”
Perhaps even reading his head, Sagan blinked his eyes. Surprisingly, Lane was the same.
‘Kyran… … ?’
‘I’m not dead… … ?’
It was hard to believe, but unlike humans, gods do not lie.
According to Jeriserica’s explanation, right before the beheading, the white dragon corps’ flying dragons arrived at the ＜Seolryeongjangseong＞ and took control of the situation.
Jeeriselica realized the seriousness of the situation north of the wall when Arakish’s presence disappeared, and immediately intervened in the situation by seeing the future south of the wall with a pure white dream.
“… … ?!”
It must have been around then.
All of a sudden, the flow of time slows down soggyly, and all the senses feel like a dream. … Suddenly, a strange lake appeared in front of my eyes.
The lake was so clear and pure white that you could see everything deep inside, and there were hundreds of me reflected in the lake, as if looking into countless mirrors at the same time.
And at the center of the lake, the goddess of blueness greeted me with her sleeves fluttering gracefully.
「In order to have a long talk, I invited you to the dream of Jereiselica. The time has come when you don’t know where the Eye of the Abyss might be.”
The noble hair, the pure eyes, the graceful dragon horn, and the elegant silk clothes were all the color of the cold, clear sea. In terms of human age, he seemed to be in his mid-60s.
“Are you Yeriselica?”
“Anyway, then who would it be?”
Yeriselica approached with the perfect grace and authority that reminded her of Shar’kath, looked me up and down, and smiled benevolently.
「I see, the texture of the soul is really similar. I understood a little what he saw and why he chose you.”
“Who do you think you look like?”
“Unfortunately, your intellect is considered inferior to him.”
Then, in the mirrors that filled the surface, each of my faces reacted differently. Someone blinked their eyes, someone tilted their head, and someone questioned and asked.
What is that?
But rather than exchanging meaningless questions and answers about the ‘real me’, I wanted to ask questions about things I couldn’t say because I was embarrassed earlier.
“Where are you going to take the prisoners?”
“It seems that what you need to ask and worry about is not the prisoners, but your own future.”
“yes?”
“Do you know what the situation on the continent is like now, and why did he have to send you over the wall?”
“to be honest… … I don’t know.”
I answered briefly, but I could feel my eyes shaking unsteadily. Somehow, this time too, countless me were showing various reactions.
“In this pure white dream, every human figure is revealed. Everything in this lake is you. You made a different choice than you did throughout your life.”
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“… … ?”
“To tell you the truth, I can see only one future for you. To be precise, the future of arriving at the South Pole with Akirea.”
what does that mean… … At that time, all of a sudden, a lot of ‘I’ that was vague like a nightmare but vivid like reality began to disappear.
The only thing left is the real me… … .
I looked around the lake in bewilderment, but with a terrifying realization, my hands and feet became cold.
“The possibility of me reaching Antarctica… … Are you saying there is only one?”
Sensing an ominous feeling, I carefully asked, and Yeriselica nodded gracefully.
「Rami Orbaden, the shadow of the abyss spreading all over the continent… … In my perception, it is correct that this Jericerica should take Akirea and send it down to Antarctica with the Legion, but he doesn’t want that.”
“If he is… … Are you referring to Karenden? Why? If I went down with the corps, it would be an instant.”
“Who knows the will of the gods? The gods send trials to those they love. Darung on Durka, only the gods know the way of man, and it seems that He intends to train you on it. To use it as pure gold.”
I was momentarily speechless.
Training, what do you mean by training? You say there’s only one way to succeed?
If you dare to guess, it seems that if you make a mistake in just one of the big and small options, all of them will fail.
“I can’t go down that dangerous road with Aki. I wouldn’t know if I was alone, but the child Arakish entrusted to me… … How can I not?”
At my plea, Yeriselica quietly shook her head.
“He believes in you. Neither you nor this Jerichelica can change His will. He loves you so much that he would even expose his sickly body in front of the old gods for you.”
“… … !”
「You have to make a choice, you who had the name Rin. Will I finish the race of life according to His will, or will I drop everything and live a meaningless life?”
Jeriserica’s words resonated heavily in my heart. The race of life according to Karenden’s will was so vague that I couldn’t even figure out what it was.
“Do you want to see the truth?”
At that moment, the thoughts swirling in my head suddenly disappeared and I felt my limbs tremble slightly.
“Do you want to reconnect the chain of ties that were broken in your previous life?”
I was overwhelmed by the simple yet profound question that followed, and I couldn’t even breathe.
A past life relationship?
A chain of ties?
What the hell exactly could that mean? That’s when I opened my mouth to ask.
「In that case, go south with Alaqish’s alter ego. On the way, first find the little ghost.”
“What do you mean by little ghost?”
“You will find out soon. He has prepared everything on that rough and weary road… … Only, for you.”
The truth, the fate of a previous life… … Those words caused a strong ripple in a series of emotions that were sealed deep inside.
I didn’t really understand.
In fact, I didn’t even get it.
The reason why I dare to walk that dangerous road with Aki… … As far as mortal perception is concerned, if the Creator of Truth really said that the truth was at the end of the road.
“I will go.”
It is a body that has already died once, and Arakish also asked Aki to show his dream.
Not only Karenden, but Arakish also wanted me to take Aki, not anyone else… … For now, I have no choice but to follow their will.
No, it seems reluctant to say it, but this was my will and my choice. I desperately wanted to know more. What is truth, and what is the chain of fate.
“From the moment you enter the continent, the abyss will persistently search for you, so do not delay for a moment, leave a brief greeting to your relatives and immediately depart for the south.”
A sad smile appeared on Jerica’s face as she looked up into the distant sky for a moment.
“And this too is His will.”
Then, suddenly, the pure whiteness that dominated this fantasy lake was integrated into one in Jeriserica’s arms and formed a cute shape.
It was a sleeping baby.
Are you younger than Aki?
Her hair color and eyebrows were pure white, so that nothing on earth could imitate them. Cold innocence like a lake on a winter day… … and a transcendent presence.
“MirünGadia, the fifth child of Jericha, whose name is ‘Seulgi’.”
Did you hesitate for a moment, or did you not want to let go of your arms… … .
Jeriserica looked down lovingly at the pure white incarnation for a long time, stroked her hair dearly, and then suddenly held it in my arms.
I was quite taken aback by the sudden action. Now, what is this? why?
“Draque Ordurben. The age of dragons is coming to an end. When all dragons are gone, the abyss will rage, and this child is the child I have prepared for the end times.”
“… … !”
「Together with the child of Alakishi, the last era… … It means that you are the last of the dragons who have to live through that nightmare era.”
I couldn’t answer
In the first place, I didn’t even know what this meant, so I just opened my mouth while looking at the baby and Yeriselica.
Yeriselica smiled lightly, and her body began to scatter in blue feathers of light.
“According to his will, I entrust it to you. I don’t want you to teach that child. This dazzling world created by the gods, and how to love it. Just like you learned.”
Dreams and fantasies seemed to be confused again, but the sense of confusion disappeared in an instant, and reality unfolded before my eyes again.
However, the feeling of weight pressing down on both hands was still the same, but when I carefully lowered my head, there was a dragon egg… … .
It was an egg with five jade-colored stripes on its pure white surface, and I felt a mysterious pulsation inside.
“I want… … .”
In no time, I had two children. A red child in the back, a white child in the front… … Is this a responsibility without pleasure?
It was a joke that couldn’t be laughed at even as a joke. These children are dragons who will live in the last days, leaving both of them to me?
I don’t know what Karenden means, but if you believe in me that much… … Okay, let’s try it.
“It’s south… … .”
I raised my head and looked across the wetland.
The endless horizon was immersed in deep darkness, and the wind that blew secretly was as cold as cutting the skin with a swinging blade.
That was the point at which the first act of my hundred-year journey of life ended and the second act began in earnest.