Chronicles of the Silver Dragon
Episode 18
“Hwe-e-e-eng!”
“Keuk…….”
Watching Sawolrin cry as if she had lost her mind, Sawolma’s face gradually paled.
*Thud!*
Unable to endure it any longer, he infused his voice with internal energy and barked. Startled by his momentum, Sawolrin flinched and stopped crying in an instant.
But moments later, Sawolma regretted his actions, and cursed them.
“Hwe-e-e-eng!”
Sawolrin had begun to cry even more sorrowfully.
Sawolma shouted again with an expression that looked as though he were truly going mad.
“Kuaaaah! Stop crying already!”
“Hwaaaaaaang!”
Sawolma wailed and pleaded, but it was no use.
Just then! A hand of salvation reached out to Sawolma. Like a single ray of light, it was…….
“What’s all this noise?”
It was none other than Jihwa’s irritated voice.
And Sawolrin stopped crying right then and there. Afterward, she turned her head toward the source of the voice with a face slightly tinged with fear.
Watching his daughter stop crying in an instant with a blank expression, Sawolma also turned his head toward the source of the voice.
There stood Jihwa with a disgruntled expression, and beside him, the next Demonic Brain and Demon Eye, Akserin, stood smiling.
“Wow~ full marks for effect, huh?”
If simply appearing was enough to stop Sawolrin’s tears so easily—when no one could stop her once she started crying—then if this wasn’t incredible, what was?
Sawolrin gave an awkward smile to Jihwa, who was looking at her with a crooked expression.
“Ahahaha……!”
“But why did you come here?”
When Jihwa asked curiously, Akserin spoke with a smile.
“Just because.”
She then spoke to the Cult Leader as well.
“Let her go.”
“What?”
When the Cult Leader frowned and looked at her, Akserin smiled and answered.
“She’s not a child anymore. Besides, the Young Cult Leader also went to the Central Plains martial world when he was around Wolrin’s age.”
“Wolmu is a boy, and Wolrin is a girl, isn’t she?”
“Is the Young Cult Leader stronger, or is Wolrin stronger?”
At Akserin’s words, the great Cult Leader of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, Sawolma, fell silent.
To be perfectly honest, it was true that his daughter was stronger than his son, the Young Cult Leader.
Still, perhaps his anxiety was inevitable, so he spoke again.
“Even so, Wolrin is a girl…….”
“Wolrin isn’t going alone.”
“Hm?”
“Jihwa is going with her.”
“Mmm…….”
At Akserin’s words, Sawolma began to ponder.
Of course, it was certain that the boy before him was stronger than himself.
But traveling with a man! If Jihwa harbored ill intentions, sending bodyguards along would be useless! And if his daughter were to suffer some terrible fate?
“I’m hungry. Food.”
“Ugh……. On about food again?”
Jihwa made an annoyed expression at Sawolrin, who spoke as if fed up.
“I haven’t eaten anything since morning.”
“Well, that’s true…….”
Listening to their conversation, Sawolma muttered to himself.
‘Maybe it doesn’t matter…….’
Honestly, his daughter liked Jihwa.
Moreover, if such an expert were to enter the cult, it wouldn’t be a bad thing for the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult either.
‘Though it is a bit concerning that he has no past…….’
Currently, the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult was mobilizing all of its intelligence capabilities, desperately trying to uncover Jihwa’s past.
And the Demonic Black Hall had discovered something: Jihwa was not a master of rejuvenation.
That was, in its own way, shocking information.
“Hungry! I’m hungry!”
“Wait a bit. Let me finish this matter first.”
“Matter?”
“Yeah, I have to get permission from your father on whether I’m going with you or not.”
“Can’t we just go?”
“No. I need permission.”
“Then you need to get that mister’s permission?”
Seeing Sawolrin nod at that, Jihwa suddenly spoke to Sawolma. And he even used informal speech!
“Can’t you just give permission?”
“Keup!”
Sawolma felt his blood pressure rise at Jihwa’s insolence, but decided to endure it.
“Hm…….”
And he deliberately pretended to ponder.
He was planning to let them go anyway, but if he agreed too readily, what would become of him? He had his dignity to uphold.
However, Sawolma’s act of pretending to ponder seemed to annoy Jihwa.
“What, are you letting us go or not? Decide quickly! Why are you dragging this out?”
‘Th-that damned brat, I’ll just…….’
Watching Jihwa suddenly show irritation, Sawolma suppressed his rising rage inwardly and spoke.
“Fine, it can’t be helped……. Since you wish it so, I give my permis—.”
“He gave permission, so let’s go eat.”
“…….”
“…….”
Watching blankly as they left, Sawolma immediately roared.
“Kuaaaah! That insolent brat!”
“C-Cult Leader! P-please calm yourself!”
“Shut up! Do I look like I can calm down? That brat, I’ll just—!”
Jihwa tilted his head at the sounds coming from the room.
“What’s with him?”
“Ahahaha……!”
At Jihwa’s words, Akserin laughed awkwardly.
Jihwa probably had no idea of the misdeed(?) he had committed.
“But did he really give permission?”
“He said all that, so doesn’t it mean he gave permission?”
When Sawolrin asked with a puzzled expression, Akserin spoke.
“I hope he doesn’t send too many guards.”
“Since the best guard is right beside you, there’s no need to worry about that.”
When Akserin looked at Jihwa and said that, he tilted his head.
***
It was an exceedingly dark and lonely space, and because of that, Jihwa hated it so much.
But Jihwa knew all too well that someone existed there.
That’s right……. He was definitely there.
In the dark space where there was nothing……. He was standing……. Existing……. And he would continue to do so.
A young man with silver hair and silver eyes stood still there.
Jihwa’s eyes went wide as he looked at the young man.
“Huh?”
That young man was none other than himself. No, a young man who looked exactly like him was looking at him with a smile.
“Who are you?”
Jihwa spoke to the young man with a puzzled expression.
“Hello?”
The young man greeted Jihwa with a smile.
Jihwa stared intently at the young man and opened his mouth.
“Is it because you look like me? I don’t think this is the first time. I feel such longing……. And a familiar feeling.”
Seeing Jihwa speak as if confused, the young man smiled.
“It isn’t the first time. Because we’ve met before.”
“When?”
When Jihwa asked with wide eyes, tilting his head, the young man answered with a smile.
“When you were five years old.”
“Five years old?”
At the young man’s words, Jihwa made a surprised expression.
Jihwa tilted his head for a moment, then looked around and spoke.
“But where is this?”
“This is your spiritual world. As your power has grown, it seems you’ve drifted in here.”
The young man spoke softly to Jihwa with a gentle smile.
“Spiritual world? Is that something you eat?”
“Hahahaha!”
The young man burst into laughter at Jihwa’s words.
The young man, who had been laughing as if truly delighted, spoke with a joyful expression.
“How long has it been since I laughed like this…….”
“Why? You can just laugh every day.”
“This place is too boring, you see.”
With those words, the young man smiled bitterly.
“Then just come out.”
When Jihwa spoke curiously, the young man said with a smile.
“Because I can’t come out.”
Watching the young man shake his head, Jihwa made a pitying expression.
The young man before him seemed so pitiful.
As if he were sacrificing something for Jihwa, as if he were caring for him.
Aside from longing, another emotion could be felt.
It was precisely guilt.
Jihwa, who normally never cowered before anyone, was fidgeting awkwardly in front of the young man, and at that sight, the young man let out a small laugh.
Then, someone’s voice was heard.
‘Jihwa, Jihwa……. Wake up. How long are you going to sleep?’
Jihwa tilted his head at the suddenly heard voice, and the young man smiled.
“Oh dear, it seems that young lady is calling you.”
“That young lady?”
“The young lady named Sawolrin.”
“Ah……. But how do you know her?”
“Because I see through your eyes. What happened a short while ago was truly regrettable.”
“What?”
“Ah, sorry……. You can’t feel sad, can you…….”
For a moment, the young man smiled bitterly, then approached Jihwa and stroked his head.
“Go back now. It was delightful to meet you again after so long.”
With those words, Jihwa awoke from his sleep.
“Huh?”
A woman stood before Jihwa, who opened his eyes blankly.
“What kind of sleep is that deep?”
At Sawolrin’s words, Jihwa got up from his spot and rubbed his eyes.
“I think I had some kind of dream…….”
“A dream?”
“Yeah.”
When Sawolrin asked with a puzzled expression, Jihwa, who had been nodding, soon tilted his head.
“But I can’t remember it.”
Watching Jihwa furrow his face, Sawolrin spoke.
“Guess it wasn’t anything important. Anyway, today’s the day we leave, isn’t it?”
“That’s right.”
A week had already passed since Jihwa came to the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, and today was the day they departed for the Central Plains martial world.
Not a single person had been directly assigned to protect them. Not only did Sawolrin not want any, but with Jihwa being stronger than the Cult Leader, what need was there for bodyguards?
However, just in case, only a single squad from the Cult Leader’s direct forces—the Demonic Spirit Squad—followed them from a distance.
“Finally leaving?”
Akserin smiled as she saw the two off.
Not only Akserin but also the Young Cult Leader, Sawolmu, had come out.
“Take care. The Central Plains martial world is a place where anything can happen. And no matter what happens, think three more times before you act.”
“Even if you say that……. Do you think he’ll think three times?”
Toward Sawolrin, who was grumbling while looking at Jihwa, Akserin smiled and spoke.
“I’ve prepared plenty of money. If it seems like it won’t be enough, collect more from the Demonic Spirit Squad.”
“Got it.”
Sawolrin, who had been nodding, soon smiled and bid farewell.
“Then we’ll be off.”
“Yeah, have a safe trip.”
“Make sure you come back safely.”
“Yeah. Jihwa, you should say your goodbyes too.”
“Bye, see you next time.”
Akserin smiled brightly at Jihwa’s farewell.