Chapter 258: The Dragon Duchess (4)

Akasha's Dragon Heart emitted a transparent magical thread that intertwined with the magical thread from Raimira's Dragon Heart, which was embedded in her forehead.

Eugene shut his eyes, focusing all his attention on the task at hand. The necessary conditions had been met, so he knew without a doubt that he could find Raizakia. Raizakia was somewhere in the gap between dimensions, and now with the blood of Raimira, Eugene could track Raizakia down. Ariartel had assured Eugene of this fact and explained that blood ties were the strongest and most primal of all contracts between beings.

Furthermore, a fragment of Raizakia's Dragon Heart was lodged in Raimira's forehead, ensuring that Eugene could not possibly fail in his quest to locate Raizakia under these circumstances.

Fwoosh!

As Eugene closed his eyes, the darkness that consumed his vision flickered momentarily. However, he remained calm and collected, for he was no stranger to the art of the Draconic spell. He was well-versed in the intricacies of the tracking process and knew precisely how it worked.

'...No.'

Yet, he couldn't help but notice that something was amiss this time around. There was a stark contrast between his present experience and his previous encounters with the Draconic spell. In the past, he had experimented with Akasha's Draconic spell using inanimate objects such as Wynnyd, the necklace, and the Moonlight Sword.

This time, he had employed the Draconic spell on a living being, Raimira, and the Dragon Heart on her forehead. This fundamental difference meant that the current outcome of the Draconic spell was vastly distinct from his previous attempts.

The room was vast but desolate, more like a secluded palace than anything else. It contained everything one could need, but there was no warmth to be found. Conversations were few and far between, and when they did occur, they were limited to the topics of meals for the day and the day to come.

Was there anything she needed? Was there anything she wished for? Regardless of what she gave as an answer, she would always be denied what she truly wished for. Emotions that did not belong to Eugene slowly started to erupt from deep inside his heart.

Eugene pressed and probed further. Akasha's Draconic spell responded to his desire, and he traveled deeper and deeper into Raimira's memories. The emotions that filled the surroundings slowly faded away, and in time, another memory materialized in front of Eugene's eyes.

The man before Raimira wore an antique ornate robe that suggested a bygone era. His hand extended toward her with outstretched fingers. The man's skin was smooth, and his long black hair lustrous. His bright red eyes were unsettling, and a distorted smile played on his lips.

She watched as a small red jewel hovered in the air, suspended by an unseen force in front of the man's fingertips. Its magical aura seemed to pulse and dance, casting an otherworldly glow on the room.

"You exist for me," a voice, cold and eerie, resonated within Eugene's mind.

It was the voice of Raizakia, the Black Dragon. He had taken on the human form he had grown so fond of during the time of Eugene's past life. Eugene watched as Raizakia reached forward and embedded the small red jewel into the forehead of the newborn.

'More.' Eugene pressed on once more.

What he was seeking wasn't Raimira's memories and origin. He wanted to find the Dragon Heart and Raizakia through the bloodline that Raimira possessed. As Eugene focused on his goal, the scenes in his mind began to crumble and collapse.

The tracking magic was optimized to be used in this fashion, and it reached a space beyond space — the realm of dimensions. The realm of dimensions was incomprehensibly vast, far beyond the recognition of mere mortals. Nevertheless, Raizakia's blood and Dragon Heart paved the way. They were like beacons, leading Eugene through the labyrinthine corridors of the dimension and toward their ultimate master.

'More.' Eugene's forehead was beaded with cold droplets of sweat.

If everything went according to plan, locating Raizakia would trigger the opening of a dimensional door that would lead him straight to the Black Dragon. Once through the gate, Eugene would have the opportunity to vanquish Raizakia and release Sienna from her sealed state in the World Tree. He steeled himself for the challenges ahead.

The gap between dimensions felt like a night sky of utterly immeasurable heights. Eugene felt like he was staring into an endless night. The darkness he encountered was different from anything he had experienced before. It ebbed and flowed around him, mixing with strange shapes that were indistinguishable from stars and clouds.

As Eugene's consciousness delved deeper into the unknown, he caught sight of something colossal. His brows furrowed with his eyes still shut.

The immense entity appeared to be curled up into a tight ball, with its serpentine tail coiled tightly around its form. The creature's massive wings enveloped its body, almost like a shield protecting it from the outside world.

Right in front of Eugene was the Black Dragon himself, Raizakia. His once majestic scales were now marred by deep gashes and tears as if they had been buffeted by a fierce storm. The flesh of his wings was likewise tattered and torn, revealing raw muscle and bone.

'I found him.'

Eugene felt a chill run down his back, and a deep sense of joy bloomed within his heart. He reflexively stretched out his hand toward Raizakia.

Wooooo!

Although the Black Dragon was asleep with his eyes closed shut, the powerful barrier wrapped around his figure pushed away the interference from Eugene and the Draconic spell.

'It's impossible to force my way through.'

Eugene's mind raced as he tried to think of a new plan. He pushed himself to the limit, feeling as if his brain would overheat. Nevertheless, he continued to resonate with Akasha, unwilling to give up. The ease with which he had found Raizakia had surprised him, but now he needed to come up with another way to achieve his goal.

Eugene had succeeded in finding Raizakia, and he had made contact with the barrier surrounding the Black Dragon as well. Now, he focused his mind and delved deeper into the nature of the barrier surrounding Raizakia.

Despite the Black Dragon not being a Demon King, the barrier seemed to be impenetrable. Even so, Eugene refused to give up so easily. While resonating with Akasha, Eugene sought to unravel the magic of the dragons and see through the barrier. It was a difficult task, but not impossible. He had to find a way to break through the barrier if he wanted to have any hope of defeating Raizakia and saving Sienna.

Once Eugene's understanding deepened and he gained insight into the nature of the barrier, the landscape around him began to change. He was no longer floating in the gap between dimensions, and the sleeping figure of Raizakia disappeared into the distance. It was a pity that he could not give the dragon the middle finger in person.

In no time, Eugene's consciousness had left the gap between dimensions entirely and was now looking down at a place somewhere on the continent instead. He recognized the landscape easily because of the location's peculiar characteristics. Furthermore, there was only one place like it on the continent. It was the Samar Forest.

Eugene looked down at the Samar Forest from high in the sky as a consciousness. Raizakia's barrier was carved throughout the forest — or, to be more precise, on the earth itself. Seeing this, Eugene came to an understanding of what had happened. Sienna had attempted to expel Raizakia into another dimension using a spell that had been impossible for her to cast even in perfect condition, but the world tree and the elves had lent her their power, turning an impossibility into reality.

However, the expelling had not gone according to plan. Instead of being transported to a different dimension, Raizakia had fallen into a gap between worlds. Sienna's critical state had played a part in the failed spell, but Raizakia's strong resistance had also contributed to its failure.

The thing that protected Raizakia was a powerful spell that tied his being to the land of the Samar Forest, preventing him from being banished to another dimension. He had to sacrifice his dignity as a dragon and exist as a ghost bound to the land, but by doing so, he managed to save his life. This was how he had been able to survive for so long.

'It's magic that's been kept alive and well for two hundred years,' Eugene surmised.

The magic protecting Raizakia was an all-encompassing force that saturated the Black Dragon. Among the dragons, who had been heralded as the pioneers of magic, Raizakia was the most formidable. As a result, tampering with the magic that was keeping Raizakia anchored to the land was an insurmountable task for Eugene. To alter or nullify the spell, Eugene would need to demolish the Samar Forest and obliterate the ground below it. There couldn't be even a mote of dirt remaining.

However, it was still possible for him to open a dimensional door in the Samar Forest using Raimira and the Dragon Heart as the key. If Eugene could do that, then he could re-attempt his initial plan. He would kill Raizakia in the gap between dimensions. It seemed more realistic to do something about Raizakia than to attempt to completely destroy a piece of land that was even larger than the empire. In the first place, destroying the forest meant destroying the territory of the elves, which was where Sienna was sealed. So, there was no point in even trying.

Eugene cursed under his breath, muttering, "Fucking lizard bastard," as he put away his sword and Akasha. Though it wasn't as bad as when he targeted the Moonlight Sword, he still felt a headache from observing a faraway place. While lowering his gaze, he pressed his fingers against his temple in an attempt to alleviate the pain.

Eugene checked on Raimira, who was still unconscious. He poked her with his foot just to make sure she wasn't faking it, but there was no response. Then he sighed in relief, as he preferred it this way. Eugene lifted Raimira and slung her over his shoulder, planning to take her with him. Though he hadn't been able to kill Raizakia right away, he felt somewhat satisfied as he had managed to catch a glimpse of Raizakia as well as come up with a plan to achieve his goal. In the first place, Eugene had not been expecting to kill Raizakia during his time in the Dragon Demon Castle.

Moreover, Eugene had laid his hands on the key — Raimira, the Dragon Duchess. It would have proven difficult to escape had a disturbance broken out in the Dragon Demon Castle, but fortunately, it was still quiet.

'That means I just need to take this kid with me right now.'

Eugene approached the warp-gate with a grin. The warp-gate was still operational. All he needed to do was to warp back down to the mining village and then get out of Karabloom somehow...

"What the hell?"

Eugene climbed onto the warp-gate with Raimira over his shoulder, but the connection was immediately cut off. He checked the status of the warp-gate with Akasha, and when he realized the reason for the disconnection, a frown appeared on his face.

"Dammit."

Eugene descended from the warp-gate and gently set Raimira down on the ground. He tried to rouse her by giving a few light slaps on her cheek, but she remained unresponsive.

"Sir Eugene, try giving her a flick on the forehead," suggested Mer while poking her head out of his cloak.

Mer's large eyes sparkled with curiosity and playfulness as she smiled mischievously. Thinking that it was a good idea, Eugene gave a nod before putting it into action.

Thuck!

Eugene flicked his finger against Raimira's forehead. The thumb-sized Dragon Heart trembled with shock, and Raimira's limp body suddenly convulsed.

"Kyaaah!" Raimira screamed.

Eugene immediately reacted by seizing her neck and pressing against it. Then he positioned his fingers for another flick and placed them right in front of her eyes for her to see.

"Truthfully answer all of the questions I'm about to ask you," said Eugene.

"Y-Y-You! You intruder! What are you doing to—?!" stuttered Raimira.

Thuck!

"Hyaaahhk!"

Eugene made sure not to put too much force behind the flicks since he couldn't have her fainting repeatedly. The sharpness of her scream wasn't as bad as before since he flicked with less force, but her body still convulsed with pain.

"Is it impossible to use the warp-gate with you?" asked Eugene.

"W-What.... What are you talking about?" Raimira responded.

However, it wasn't the answer Eugene wanted.

Thuck!

Silence replaced the scream that had erupted from Raimira earlier, but her jaw remained open, a sign of the intense pain she was experiencing. Tears streamed down her face and slowly pooled around the corners of her eyes.

"Are there any other ways for you to get out of here?" asked Eugene.

"D-Do not... i-insult me... any longer.... This lady is the child of the Black Dragon.... T-The rightful master... of the Dragon Demon Castle...."

Thuck!

Eugene flicked his finger against Raimira's forehead with a gentle touch, and streams of tears started flowing down her eyes again. Despite her efforts to hold them back, the tears poured out one after another, eroding away any shred of her dignity as a dragon. Eugene had always been a steely man, indifferent to the tears of his opponents. Yet, seeing Raimira cry so bitterly, Eugene's heart couldn't help but soften a little. It wasn't just her tears that made her seem vulnerable; her small size and the way she curled up in pain made her look no different from Mer.

"Get it together, Sir Eugene. This girl with a wide forehead only looks young on the outside. She's lived for more than two hundred years," Mer reminded Eugene.

"It's even more difficult because she's similar to you," retorted Eugene.

"She's not like me," said Mer.

"What's the difference?" asked Eugene.

Eugene's inquiry pierced the heavy silence that hung in the air. His gaze landed on his shameless companion, and Mer stared back at him as if not wanting to be defeated. The unspoken challenge between them was palpable. Mer's expression betrayed her reluctance to lose, but that was it. She could not deny the fact that she had been in existence for a comparable amount of time.

Eugene's struggle with Raimira wasn't solely due to Mer's presence. It was also because Raimira, unlike her father Raizakia, was untainted by Dark Energy. Additionally, when Eugene used the Draconic spell earlier, he had glimpsed into her past. The scenes he had witnessed reminded him of Molon, so he couldn't simply brush them aside.

Eugene's expression was stoic as he gazed down at Raimira with his hand hovering over her forehead. Despite the fleeting empathy he felt, he had no desire to take care of her. His fingers tightened into a fist before slowly relaxing, and he pressed them against her skin. Veins bulged on his forehead while he summoned his power in his middle finger, curling it back as far as it could go.

"T-This lady cannot leave the Dragon Demon Castle," Raimira uttered in a hurry. "The red jewel in my forehead and my heart are connected to the core of the Dragon Demon Castle.... It would be no exaggeration to say that my existence is maintaining the Dragon Demon Castle, so t-this lady cannot leave this place."

Eugene's brow furrowed as he pondered the situation before him. The enormous landmass had remained suspended in the sky for the entire two hundred years of Raizakia's absence, but was that truly all there was to it? The Dragon Demon Castle's barrier, which could withstand all external attacks, had been maintained for the same length of time.

All of this had been possible due to the existence of Raimira, the hatchling. Therefore, Raimira simply could not leave the Dragon Demon Castle.

Although Raimira was not yet fully mature, the red jewel embedded in her forehead was still a fragment of Raizakia's Dragon Heart. This small but powerful jewel acted as the heart of the Dragon Demon Castle, keeping the magic of the massive fortress alive and functioning.

Gulp....

Raimira's chapped lips quivered as she stole a glance at Eugene, who was currently still deep in thought with furrowed brows. How many times had he struck her forehead? Fear churned in her stomach as she tried to remember. The pain had been so excruciating that Raimira struggled to recall precisely how many times she had endured the torment.

It was understandable. After being born into this world, no one had ever treated Raimira like this. Today, she experienced physical pain, rather than pain of the heart, for the first time ever.

'Is he really even human?'

As Raimira looked into Eugene's eyes, she could sense anger and irritation emanating from them. This was enough to make her shrink back even further. She felt a chill run down her spine. Despite the fact that he had done nothing more than reveal his emotions through his gaze, Raimira was overwhelmed by his intensity...

"You. Why are you here?" Eugene suddenly shot her a question.

Raimira bent her toes with surprise upon hearing the sudden question.

"W-What did you say?" she asked.

Eugene repeated his question, "Why are you here?"

Despite having used Akasha's Draconic spell to see Raimira's memories, the images had not been clear. It wasn't because Eugene didn't care about the details but because that Draconic spell wasn't meant for reading other people's memories.

However, he had still managed to catch a glimpse of the life Raimira had led in the Dragon Demon Castle. Raimira was Raizakia's daughter — the hatchling of the Black Dragon — and the Dragon Duchess. Despite her noble lineage, Raimira's existence was shrouded in secrecy and unknown to the public. Only existences on the level of the other three Dukes of Helmuth were aware of Raimira.

It had been inevitable. The vassals of the Dragon Demon Castle had never revealed Raimira's existence to the outside world, and during Raizakia's absence, Raimira had been confined to the deepest palace in the fortress. The garden and the palace had been Raimira's entire world. When Eugene used Draconic, he had felt the full extent of her solitude and sorrow.

Even so, Eugene glared at Raimira with apathetic eyes. Raimira squirmed and wriggled her fingers in response.

"T-This lady... does not know what you are talking about. I am the rightful master of the Dragon Demon Castle.... This castle is rightfully mine, so I can go wherever I wish to. Do not say there's anything w-w-wrong with me being here!" Raimira once again attempted to win back her dignity and pride as a dragon.

Yet, when Eugene brought his finger closer to her forehead, Raimira reflexively flinched and shrank back while shaking her head.

"Stop with the bullshit, and answer me honestly. Dragon Duchess Raimira, I know you've lived your life confined to the secluded palace of the Dragon Demon Castle," said Eugene.

"W-What...? How did you know...? Uh... Uhahaha! You are trying to mock me and discredit me with a lie. No one knows of my existence except for the Four Divine Generals, who are the most loyal and favored by the Black Dragon!" shouted Raimira.

"Well, I know about it, you little brat. If you don't want to die, just answer my question," said Eugene, opting to showcase his killing intent instead of giving her another flick.

Raimira burst into hiccups while replying, "I-I-I came out of the palace f-for the s-sake of the Dragon Demon Castle's future. T-The Four Divine Generals said I needed to b-become the new master of the D-Dragon Demon Castle.... T-That's why.... That's how it happened. I succeeded the B-Black Dragon a-and... became the new ma-master of the Dragon Demon Castle, a-and... and...."

"I asked you how you came out," repeated Eugene.

"...The Four Divine Generals opened the door. T-This lady had never been able to g-get out before, but... they told me it was time for me to step forward...," answered Raimira.

Upon hearing that, Eugene let out a derisive snort. While he wasn't particularly familiar with the Four Divine Generals, he could discern from their actions that they were not the most loyal of followers of the Black Dragon. Although, it was possible that they had been more devoted in the past. The passage of two hundred years had to have changed them.

'It was probably thanks to them turning a blind eye that some of the dwarven goods could be sneaked away. They could always put the blame on the inspector later if they got caught,' Eugene thought.

In addition, it was unpleasantly obvious why they had chosen to release Raimira after locking her up for two hundred years. Sooner or later, Count Karad would declare war against the Dragon Demon Castle, but the Four Divine Generals would not want a war. Therefore, they would want to reveal Raizakia's absence by putting forth Raimira. Afterward, they could have Raimira acknowledge defeat to avoid suffering any damage.

'If Count Karad asked for the head of the lord, they could simply give Raimira's head since she's technically the acting lord.'

Eugene could also guess why she was in this place as well.

—Do you not recognize who I am? Well, rightly so! However, know that everyone in the Dragon Demon Castle will come to know my name today! I am the legitimate master of the Dragon Demon Castle and the only flesh and blood of the Black Dragon!

Raimira had shouted such words from the beginning because she no longer had to hide her existence. No, rather, the Four Divine Generals wanted her to flaunt her existence to the fullest.

"H-Human intruder, how long are you planning to keep me captive for? I-If you let this lady go and then kneel and beg for forgiveness.... I will show you forgiveness as a merciful lord...," muttered Raimira.

The Four Divine Generals had skillfully manipulated the situation, using the young girl's naivety to their advantage. They had pushed her to punish a corrupt inspector, and she had unwittingly played right into their hands. Now, she was here, proclaiming herself as the new master of the Dragon Demon Castle. It was a foolish move and one that would not go unpunished. Eugene shook his head in disbelief, marveling at the audacity of these supposed loyalists.

"R-Right. Then what do you think about this instead? Intruder, as far as I can tell, your skills are excellent — perhaps not lacking even compared to the Four Divine Generals. So, I will show you mercy and take you in. I could even make you my personal guard, to have you protect me by my side. I can dub you...," Raimira hastily continued.

"Poor thing." Eugene shook his head while clicking his tongue.

He was saying it intentionally, but he was somewhat sincere as well.

"P-P-Poor thing? Intruder! H-How could you, a human, say that to me, a dragon!? Did you just pity me? This lady cannot stand this insult!" roared Raimira. Yet, contrary to her loud cry, she was still being subdued by Eugene. "Intruder! I am not a poor thing! Take that back right now and..."

"What do you mean by that?" asked Eugene.

"I am not to be pitied!" shouted Raimira.

"You're going to die in a few days," said Eugene while clicking his tongue once more.

Raimira's eyes widened with shock as she stared at Eugene.