19 – The Courage to Become Real
They had ridiculed the awards that were ingrained in the world.
They had destroyed art, the body, love, the village, the city, and even power and civilization as a mere pastime. They ruled as the embodiment of violence that did not distinguish between the beauty and ugliness of the world. It was like a natural disaster, living as a calamity that even broke the will to resist.
Human life changes and deteriorates as quickly as it is transient. Therefore, even after a thousand years, what remains almost unchanged is clearly the superior being that has the legitimate right to plunder them.
When exercising such rights became boring, people referred to its existence as the enemy of the world – the Bloody Dragon.
This dragon occasionally played tricks.
At times, it would polymorph into the appearance of a human and set a time limit to erase memories.
Living according to the values of creatures other than dragons is quite a stimulating pastime. It makes things that were usually looked down upon seem special. It helps one feel that those things that were despised are alive.
However, when memories return, the stimulating everyday life becomes repulsive just by being reminded of it. Sharing affection with a human woman and forming a bond of marriage was not something they wanted to do, even as a pastime.
As soon as memories returned, they chastised themselves for erasing the memories.
Until they found a new toy.
[So, this is my bloodline.]
After returning to their residence, the Rare, the Bloody Dragon observed Tina with interest.
A dragon’s aura in a mere human body.
Even for a dragon with a long lifespan, this was the first case they encountered. It stimulated their curiosity and ignited a strong possessiveness.
Is this what humans call paternal love?
At least, if they were stuck with one side of the Rare, their heart wouldn’t freeze. A single human bloodline is more precious than a pile of countless splendid jewels.
[Even if the tendons are severed… they will quickly regenerate.]
Surveillance is a hassle, so I should at least put a leash on her.
Obedience training is most effective when the individual is young.
It was when Jukryong was trying to figure out the numbers in his own way.
“Kek, heuk…”
Tina vomited and poured gastric juice on the floor. Not only was her complexion pale, but her body was also trembling.
Jukryong coldly muttered the results of his observation while calmly twirling his hair.
[Perhaps the human body cannot withstand the temperature and air pressure of the upper atmosphere. Well, it doesn’t matter. As half-dragon, I’ll recover quickly.]
First, let’s establish how to treat the newly arrived daughter.
If we imitate humans together and, as women, manipulate the continent… that would be a special amusement as well.
Jukryong commanded Tina, who had stopped vomiting.
“Address me as Father. You should have the qualifications for that.”
When given an order, one must obey. The hierarchy inherent in her free blue eyes was transparent.
However, Tina refused with a cracked voice.
“I don’t want to…”
Despite trembling, she continued to speak until the end.
“A real father… a real father… wouldn’t treat me like this. He wouldn’t grab me and drag me around without reason, and he would worry when I’m in pain. You’re not my father… this is not what a father does…”
Tears rolled down her cheeks and fell onto the cold floor. Even though her whole body trembled with fear, she couldn’t obediently follow the command.
Because he said it.
From now on, he is her real father.
There are no parents who do not take responsibility for their children’s mistakes.
So, it is impossible for someone like him to become a father.
[Hmm, is that so.]
It was a rebellious act mixed with courage and tears, but it was far from enough to evoke the spirit of a dragon.
Instead, it resulted in a slight sense of hypocrisy.
[Well, it’s fine. I’ll just tie it up and gradually let him know.]
Tina’s treatment, ignorant of hierarchy, was determined succinctly. Jukryong turned his attention to a suitable bundle of chains. There must have been something made of iron nearby.
Finally, Jukryong found a chain that was only as thick as a fingernail.
And at that moment, when the chain that moved like a snake was about to wrap around Tina’s neck.
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The golden light filled the air, and the once transparent space gently folded like a curtain.
◈
As Harte appeared, sweeping away the space, Tina quickly embraced him.
“Dad!”
“Tina.”
Harte skillfully snatched the chain that was about to coil around Tina’s neck. Then, with a furrowed brow, he handed her an apologetic apple.
“… I’m sorry. I missed it right in front of me… and made you go through a terrifying experience.”
“No, no… I’m fine. Really…”
“Is that so…”
He didn’t believe her so easily. There was saliva that hadn’t been wiped away near her lips, and her whole body was cold. It was quite evident how much strain the dragon’s flight had put on her.
And on top of that, the chain that was about to wrap around her neck…
If Harte was a powerless village boy, the torment Tina would have suffered was vividly clear.
At that moment.
[Something interesting appeared.]
Kwoong!
The crimson body moved.
The restless energy fell and evaporated like raindrops. The tremendous life force roared like a volcanic eruption.
Meanwhile, Harte was surrounded only by a faint golden light, ridiculously calm and still compared to the red dragon.
In an instant, the claws of the red dragon rushed towards Harte with the intent to pierce his chest.
“If you truly hate him, give him three chances. Perhaps he just lacked the opportunity to change.”
Reciting the scriptures, Harte.
Suddenly, he moved to a point away from the claws, still holding Tina like a princess.
Then, Harte’s footsteps turned towards the outside of the lair.
There are still chances for things to change.
When Tina was kidnapped, one chance was used up, and the second chance was shattered with the recent attack. But the last chance was not yet gone. If he can reap vengeance until he reaches the outside of the lair, nothing will happen.
[Arrogant one.]
In an instant, the crimson energy took on mass and extended into the form of a claw.
At that moment, Harte finally set aside the teachings of the temple.
Swoosh.
Ignoring the flowing red claw as if it was melting into golden light, Harte cast a barrier around Tina’s surroundings as a sanctuary.
“Just wait for a moment, Tina. It’s okay to close your eyes if you’re scared.”
“Ugh, yes. Be careful… Dad.”
“By the way, just curious, which dad are we talking about?”
When Harte jokingly asked, Tina blushed shyly and answered vaguely.
“… The real dad.”
“Well then, no need to worry.”
Tina’s real dad, mentioned by her, passed through the barrier and neatly wiped away traces of vomit on her lips.
“All dads in the world are the strongest in front of their children.”
Dad walked away with his daughter on his back.
“Yeah, he was the strongest.”
Harte had been curious since her time in the temple. What does it feel like to have a family?
Once, she saw a woman kneeling in front of the temple, embracing a child who was dying. Perhaps she fervently prayed, believing that if the prayer reached the god, the child would recover.
Of course, the priest is not a doctor.
Moreover, the rare beings using divine power do not interfere in human affairs. That was the principle. So the woman’s wish must have been in vain.
Nevertheless, Harte secretly bestowed a miracle upon the woman’s child.
Since then, whenever the child’s mother offers prayers, she trembles and sheds tears.
Originally, human emotions are volatile and challenging to hold onto for a long time. Yet, it was fascinating to see tears shed in gratitude for the grace that saved her child.
Where does the determination come from for a fragile woman to kneel on the cold ground for seven nights?
Where does the strength come from to dedicate oneself to a child?
How is such selfless dedication possible?
At that moment, for the first time, she had doubts.
“Now… it feels like I’ve found nothing more than a convenient answer.”
Crack!
A flash streaks like a single beam. Harthe’s bare fist pierces right into the center of the Red Dragon.
Thud!
[Cough!]
A muffled sound, and blood spurts from the Red Dragon’s mouth. It’s not the aura reminiscent of blood, but the actual blood that flowed within its body.
At that moment, Harthe turned her head in response to a sensed threat.
Pit!
A thin, elongated thorn pierced through. Dragon blood reshaped freely according to its will.
Blood manipulation is a characteristic of the Bloody Dragon’s innate species. Harthe was well aware of that.
[Newcomer, I’ve faced countless times. You won’t be any different!]
A crimson blade rises from the empty space. Its size is easily five times that of an average person. The massive mass of dragon blood unexpectedly formed a blade from a square.
Clang, swoosh!
As Harthe evaded repeatedly, deep wounds were left in the sharp, black arms in all directions.
After dodging a dozen times, Harthe suddenly came to a stop.
“…Aha.”
She didn’t know the dragon’s limits. Harthe had faced priests many times, but encountering a dragon was a first for her.
Attacks in three-dimensional space, breaking free from spatial constraints. Truly a convenient ability.
Anywhere blood was splattered, she could freely draw her blade.
This might not be the end. It might not be the entirety of the dragon’s capabilities, but…
“It’s pathetic.”
Swoosh, thud!
Harte ran. Ignoring the rising blades, he ran very quickly. The blades that unfolded belatedly accelerated to the point where they couldn’t reach him.
Click, clank, clink!
The slow-reacting blades tore through the dusty ground. At the end of the cruel cutting sound echoing emptily, a small human was right in front of his nose.
Thud!
His fist plunged into the center of the Red Dragon once again. Instantly, thick blood splattered in the air.
Kukugugugu…!
The blood-soaked carcass rolled grotesquely with its tail end. Harte silently stared at that sight and slowly moved his steps.
“When I first met Tina, I thought…”
Dragon’s instincts are truly useless.
They were fragments of power that could be easily shattered.
Such trivial things relentlessly tormented the little girl.
“To twist the fate of humans just for amusement.”
Thud, thud, splat!
It was when Harte stepped on the bloody puddle.
“You’ve stepped into my blood!”
The blood crawled up slowly from his ankle like a fish swimming against a waterfall. The blood that seeped into the flesh like a sponge touching it.
“You fool, you let your guard down! Since Dragon’s blood has seeped into you, you will be my puppet…”
Splat, splat! Thud, thud.
[Tick-tock… It must be time…]
Drip.
A massive amount of blood poured from Harte’s body. The dragon’s blood that had infiltrated escaped in an instant. However, Harte’s body and attire were not just soaked but appeared as if they had been cleaned, untouched by the blood.
“Who is the arrogant one…”
At their first encounter.
While the Red Dragon had stamped Harte as arrogant, the real arrogance resided elsewhere.
“To defile the baptismal name like this, how arrogant can one be.”
[Baptismal name…!]
The Red Dragon was entirely unaware. He never dreamed that Harte would be the owner of the baptismal name.
The advantage of living for a long time is not just strength. The accumulated knowledge over the years is a significant advantage.
Though the High Priest had torn apart many times, the owner of the baptismal name was different. Basically, they never appeared in the human world, and there was no chance to meet them.
However, some would say.
That the baptismal name is the ultimate protection for humanity.
Beings that only step into the human world when believers in gods are in imminent danger of extinction.
Literally, they are the living incarnations of the god’s wrath. That was the possessor of the baptismal name.
Why such a mythical being…
[Why…! Are you in a place like this…!!!]
“If you’re curious, pray.”
Recovering memories from past lives is an impossible task. As Harte, he could only believe that even that was the will of the gods.
[Grr… Krrraaah!]
Kieeek!
The sound of anger reverberates and spreads.
Immediately after, the Red Dragon stomps its foot heavily.
All of Lare’s treasures are scattered into fragments, and the dust and dirt spread outside of Lare.
“Is it a revolt?”
Harte quickly tries to step on the Red Dragon’s body, but he feels no mass there.
Kuuu!
Following that, an overwhelming weight shakes Lare. Amidst the chaos of the ceiling fragments falling, a sound that should not be heard enters his ears.
Crash!
It’s the reverberation of the barrier breaking.
Was this overwhelming weight meant only to break that barrier?
“But how?”
There’s no way he wouldn’t feel anything when a body moves like that.
“Finding Ichii comes later.”
He immediately turns back to where the barrier was broken. If he starts a hostage situation here, it will only make things worse.
Whoosh!
As Harte waves his hand, the wind blows. Along with it, the dust and jewel fragments flow out of Lare.
Soon after his field of vision opens, Harte furrows his brow.
“Dad!”
“Dad!”
Tina was two people. From head to toe, a perfectly replicated Tina existed there.
“Polymorph!”
A characteristic inherent to dragons. Not only could they transform into various objects and living beings, but if in contact with the subject of transformation, they could even replicate memories.
“Huh…?”
“Huh…?”
The two Tinas looked at each other, perplexed. The situation seemed not to be fully grasped, leaving them with a bewildered expression.
“What is this? Why are there two of me…?”
“Did I transform into a dragon…?”
However, the peace was short-lived. In an instant, both of them clung to Harte’s pant leg with distressed faces.
“Dad! It’s me, Tina!”
“Don’t lie…! Dad… Dad…! It’s me, I’m Tina…!”
“It’s a lie…! It’s a lie! No, it’s me, I swear… Hngh…”
“Please believe me, Dad… I’m really Tina… sniff…”
Two pairs of blue eyes, reflecting the shimmer of tears, each filled with desperate longing and sorrow.
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A desperate struggle within the mockery of mockery that deceives people.
“Ha…”
Harte sighed deeply, expressing his frustration.
“There should be a limit even to pathetic antics.”
Crash! A clear expression of anger for the first time, Harte swept Tina’s face, which was holding onto his left pant leg, against the ground.
In an instant, Tina, taking on the form of Tina, groaned in agony.
[This can’t be… it’s absurd. How can someone who claims to be a parent make such a twisted choice…!]
“On the contrary.”
Harte tightened the grip of his hand even more.
“Do you think there are parents who can’t distinguish their own children?”
[Crazy bastard!]
Kwaaah!
The body of the dragon, which had taken on the form of Tina, swelled up in an instant. In the blink of an eye, the dragon returned to its original form, causing a storm as it soared.
Kugung, kugugung!
The ceiling of the lair collapsed. In the wind where bright sunlight poured into the once-dark cave, Tina tightly closed her eyes.
“Tina, watch closely.”
“Yes?”
“I will now eliminate the nightmare that tormented you.”
Harte and Tina gazed into the sky. In the cloudless blue sky, the dragon, preparing for the final breath of decision, was flapping its wings.
Kiiing-!
The sword, carved into holiness by Harte’s hand in confrontation with it, emitted light.
A power beyond human reach.
Authority granted in the name of God.
The sword entrusted with the final protection of humanity.
It was the miraculous decision that gathered the points at the edge of hundreds of branches of faith.
Oooh.
Harte brandishes his radiance.
Then, golden embers spread through the darkness, reaching towards the heavens.
Glowing flames form a path, like blooming lotus flowers.
The fireworks, adorned with miracles, greedily devour the breath of the crimson dragon, twisting its neck, completely swallowing Tina’s nightmare.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Tina gazes at the golden flames lingering in the sky, unknowingly shedding tears.
Finally, she feels like she can truly let go of the past.
Because there is no doubt that this is her real family, holding her hand.
The warmth is so comforting that it feels like the nightmares are melting away.
“… Dad.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re… really my dad…”
“Of course.”
“Yes… that’s right. It’s only natural…!”
There were many times when she doubted it because it was a connection that could be easily severed. A connection that could have an unequivocal end.
She always tried to be visible, measuring her actions and being cautious.
“But… it wasn’t true.”
I was the one who secretly thought it was fake.
Drawing a line was no different.
I feel so foolish. If I had believed Harte from the beginning, we would have been true to each other a long time ago.
The passing time was painfully regrettable.
I must change myself now, even at this late stage.
Let’s narrow the gap that was both close and distant.
For the sake of valuing no one but myself.
And for the sake of someone who values me.
It’s time to show true courage.
“Um… Can I whisper something?”
“Yeah? Of course, anything.”
He truly is a kind person. He willingly listens to even meaningless requests.
Because of that, I gave him a very ordinary gift that I had never given before.
“… I love you, Dad.”
A fantasy of steam rising above Tina’s head flickered.