C215
Although Cale asked a question, the village chief, who had to answer, was worried.
He looked at Witira and Gashan alternately with a mesmerized expression on his face.
But there was someone who was even more surprised than him.
It was the middle-aged man dressed as a hunter.
"Uh, how...?"
He was so shocked that he seemed more affected by the shock than by surprise.
"...us?"
He recalled what Gashan had said a moment ago.
'Haha, that's true. Here, Beast People are a bit different from us. It seems they went through something during turbulent times.'
Those words had a meaning.
"...Are you also Beast People?"
The answer to that came with a dry voice.
Cale casually opened his mouth.
"Well, she is Witira-nim from the Whale Tribe, and he is Gashan, a Tiger, and also a shaman. Oh!"
At that moment, Cale realized something.
"Gashan, is shamanism possible?"
Gashan opened his eyes in surprise. He quickly unfolded his power, and his expression turned dark.
"It's not possible."
He shook his head.
"It seems that natural energy is blocked."
Eruhaben, the Ancient Dragon, intervened in the conversation.
"Not only Magic and Mana, but also natural energy in general is being controlled. It seems that these Dragons around here have been plotting something during this time of change."
The village chief and the other villagers looked at Eruhaben in astonishment.
The elder hesitated before speaking.
"Is this one also a Beast People?"
His tone was cautious. But Eruhaben responded confidently and arrogantly.
"No. I am a Dragon."
The hunter, who had suddenly stood up, lost strength in his legs and sat back down. But Eruhaben paid no attention to him. Instead, he asked the chief.
"Chief, why would Dragons be worshipped here?"
The first question that Cale had asked.
'How did Dragons become Gods here?'
Eruhaben also had the same question. And Cale wanted an answer to that too.
"We-well..."
The chief couldn't articulate his words well. He knew about the identity of the Beast People, and furthermore, after finding out that Eruhaben was a Dragon, he couldn't gather his thoughts.
"Elder."
Someone handed the chief a cup of hot tea. It was Cale, with a gentle smile.
"Just take a sip and calm down."
The chief reached out, noticing that his hand was trembling, and held the tea cup with both hands. After taking a sip of the hot tea and calming down a bit, the chief finally opened his mouth.
"During the period of changes, when magic was blocked, the world became a disaster. At that time, the Free City Gonia, that is, the current Holy Empire, rose."
Free City Gonia. That's what the Holy Empire was originally called.
"The Free City Gonia was founded by a human known to have Dragon's blood in his veins."
A city founded by someone with Dragon's blood?
A strange look appeared in Cale's eyes.
Mixed races of Dragons couldn't live long. Because humans couldn't bear Dragon's blood. But is there a city founded by those half-breeds?
Cale remembered the Half-Blood Dragon that turned into a Bone Dragon.
Meanwhile, the chief continued speaking.
"Of course, after the rule of the first leader, only marriages between humans have been held, so Dragon's blood became more diluted, but they are still believed to be under the protection of Dragons."
And when the period of changes came...
"The leader at that time announced this throughout the continent. He asked the Dragons to help him stop this chaos."
The chief frowned.
"Society at that time was filled with unimaginable chaos."
It was natural. Even if only teleportation and visual communications were interrupted, the world would become chaotic. If all kinds of magic were to stop, that world would be like Earth without electricity.
"In the midst of all that, some Dragons suddenly appeared and repaired the places where chaos occurred when magic stopped. Moreover, when problems arose due to the violent behavior of the Beast People, they led the execution of the Beast People. And the power of their abilities and magic saved some areas that were in chaos due to anomalous weather conditions."
Cale listened silently.
"From there, people began to emerge who worshipped and praised the Dragons. Maybe it was a natural course. After all, Dragons listened even to prayers that were not heard by the Gods they originally believed in. And without asking for anything in return."
How would Dragons look in the eyes of people during those turbulent times?
"Well. The damage to the temples at that time was really severe. Even praying in the temple required paying money."
Dragons solving problems that even the Gods ignored.
"Anyway, at that time, the Leader of the Free City Gonia changed its name to Holy City and began to expand its territory. And finally, they announced that they would worship Dragons as gods."
It was the moment when the Free City Gonia became the Holy City.
"At that time..."
The chief paused for a moment.
Cale had an idea of why he was doing that.
'Probably around this time, the Har Empire became the Har Kingdom.'
Moreover, the reason why Holy City became Holy Empire must be the continuation of the village chief's story.
"At that time, the last emperor of the Har Empire said that he could not allow Dragons to be worshipped as Gods."
"And that led to war."
The village chief nodded at Cale's words.
"I don't know if you're aware, but the first emperor of the Har Empire at that time..."
"Was a Dragon Hunter?"
The village chief fell silent. He stared at Cale as if wondering how he knew, then sighed at Cale's lack of words.
"Yes. He was the first Dragon Hunter. Perhaps for this reason, the world said that the Har Empire took unreasonable measures for fear of losing its status as a powerful nation and that the authority of the first emperor would fall. Because they challenged the authority of Dragons without Magic or Aura."
The village chief paused for a moment before continuing.
"In the end, the last emperor of the Har Empire died, and everything ended. It can't really be called a war."
Pfff. A light laugh came out of the village chief's mouth.
"The dragons didn't intervene in that war, saying it was a human matter, but some humans who inherited the blood of the Dragons came forward, and it was quickly resolved."
"...You mean the Dragon Half-Bloods?"
"Yes. That's correct."
The village chief's attitude, responding as if there were no problem, made Cale glance at Eruhaben. The Ancient Dragon lifted his head while looking at Cale.
"Dragon Half-Bloods are strong, but-"
Cale understood what he didn't say.
'They are as strong as Dragons, but they live shorter lives.'
The Ancient Dragon probably wanted to convey that.
Cale nodded slightly, thinking he should find out more about Dragon Half-Bloods, then looked at the village chief and spoke.
"During that war, Duke Snow also participated and died, right?"
"That's right. And the Har Empire had to retreat to the north, while Holy City took control of the central lands where the Har Empire used to be, thus becoming the Holy Empire."
Hmm.
Cale, who was thinking for a moment, asked.
"Was there no resistance from other countries during that process?"
"Not really. They may have felt fear seeing the fall of the Empire, but..."
The village chief showed a weak smile.
"Holy Empire promised that if they recognized Dragons as Gods, there would be no reason for war, and they would be willing to help in case of need. And they kept that promise. They helped without hesitation when asked. Furthermore, after Holy Empire took the central lands, there were no conflicts with other countries because Holy Empire did not seek trouble after taking those lands."
The village chief rubbed his face with his hands.
"They helped people suffering from abnormal climates, constantly subdued violent Beast People, and when something was too difficult for humans to handle, they always asked their God, the Dragons, to stabilize the continent."
And as a result.
"The number of people worshiping Dragons as Gods increased, and Dragons became Gods."
It was the answer to the question of why Dragons became Gods.
'Mmm...'
Cale crossed his arms and leaned back on the sofa.
In summary, the story tells how people began to worship Dragons as if they were Gods, even more than the Gods themselves. The Hunters of the Blood Red Family, aware that Dragons cannot become Gods, observe how the world worships Dragons. Cale, through his experience with the Blood Cult in the Central Plains, knows that worship is a prerequisite for turning a being into a God.
'...Are these guys from the Blood Red Family more interested in becoming Gods than in that Absolute God?'
It could be.
'Anyway, let's not jump to conclusions.'
It was better to keep various possibilities open when directly confronting them, as they would reveal their intentions.
The village chief, with a bitter expression as if he couldn't unfold his face, muttered:
"And finally..."
"But, elder, I have a question."
Cale smiled slightly as he looked at the chief.
"Is there any reason why the last emperor of the Har Empire didn't allow Dragons to become Gods?"
A moment ago, the chief mentioned:
'The position of the Har Empire as a power could weaken, and the authority of the current emperor could decrease, so they took extreme measures.'
The expression was strange. Doesn't it seem like the world says that, but the truth is different?
"..."
The chief couldn't answer. But the answer came from another place.
"Before he died, the last emperor believed that behind all these calamities, Dragons had a role. He was sure that Dragons brought this misfortune to this land because they wanted to become Gods."
The hunter presumed to be a werewolf revealed the answer.
"Koukan!"
The village chief scolded him by calling his name, but the hunter shook his head at the chief.
"Anyway, they probably are not our enemies, isn't it right to say that?"
"Then."
Cale asked.
"How do you know that?"
"..."
Koukan, the hunter named so, looked alternately at Cale, Witira, and Gashan before opening his mouth.
"The last emperor left these words to his warriors before he died. He said that Dragons were behind all these misfortunes and that they must stop them."
Oh, Cale sighed silently.
'Did the late Grand Duke and the last Emperor know the truth?'
Har Empire. And Holy Empire. If you delve into those two places, it's possible to discover what the Blood Red Family wants.
'There are ways to fight against dragons directly.'
But first, isn't it necessary to know the enemies?
No matter how strong Cale is, if he fights without knowing anything, he could be at a disadvantage. Cale had no intention of taking that risk.
He asked Koukan:
"So, are you a descendant of those warriors?"
"..."
He affirmed with his silence. This time, Cale looked at the elder. He was someone who seemed to know something and think differently from a simple chief of an ancient village.
"And you..."
"Hmm."
He exhaled and spoke.
"...I am a descendant of a steward family that served the Snow Family. My family is the only one that has survived and has taken on the role of village chief in this small village."
The corner of Cale's mouth lifted slightly.
'I understand the picture now.'
He asked:
"So, did you hide your family's true identity and take care of the village, living in harmony with the werewolves of the Erghe Mountains?"
The village chief nodded without saying a word.
Only then could Cale understand the village chief's attitude, using honorifics for the Empire and the Emperor while calling the Dragons by a derogatory name.
The village chief fell silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, then opened his mouth again.
"And I do not know the person named Choi Jung Gun that you mentioned earlier."
"...You don't know?"
"That's right."
The answer was quite firm. However, this was the place where Choi Jung Gun had sent his last communication. Therefore, Cale realized that the question had been formulated incorrectly.
"Has a foreigner ever come to this place?"
Since Choi Jung Gun might not have revealed his name when coming here.
"...Hmm."
The village chief thought for a moment.
"Since this place is quite remote, there may have been entries and exits of foreigners."
The village chief had strict control over foreigners entering and leaving the village to protect the Beast People.
"I need to know his appearance to know who you're talking about."
Mmm. Cale swallowed saliva.
'Will Choi Jung Gun move with his real appearance?'
If he hid his name, he would also hide his appearance, right?
Choi Jung Gun was also the first Dragon Slayer. In a world ruled by Dragons, he would have been very cautious.
"We have records of foreigner entries. Do you want to see them? We've noted basic information, including names and appearances."
Upon the village chief's words, Cale nodded. The way he worked was clearly different from that of an ordinary village chief.
"Yes, please. I would appreciate that."
Perhaps, by reviewing the entry records, he could get clues about Choi Jung Gun.
"And when will the eradication team arrive?"
When Cale asked the second question, the village chief and the forest hunters looked at each other. Cale felt an indescribable uneasiness in their looks.
"I don't think it will take long, maybe tomorrow or the day after."
Up to three days at the latest. The Holy Empire's eradication team would arrive here.
"Cale, isn't this too hasty? If we are discovered by the eradication team, our information could reach the Holy Empire."
The worried voice of the Ancient Dragon was heard. The others also looked at Cale with concern. Cale just smiled.
"It's perfect. There are many things I want to know from the Holy Empire."
He organized the situation clearly.
"We can ask them when we catch them."
No matter how long it takes for the eradication team to arrive, wouldn't it be enough to catch them? After all, the words of those who are caught will never reach the ears of the Holy Empire.
"Oh, that's fine then."
The Ancient Dragon nodded.
"There's an easy way, I forgot about it for a moment."
The Ancient Dragon, Cale, Witira, and Gashan smiled slightly. The village chief and the villagers looked at them in surprise. Cale, ignoring their reactions, turned to Ron at the door.
"Call Lock."
A werewolf would be better to deal with a werewolf.
Cale looked out the window. Through the window, he could see snowflakes dancing in the air. And he also saw his own red hair faintly reflected in that window. He remembered one of the items he had.
Although it had lost its original form and had turned into a red crown.
'...The first emperor's item is in my hand.'
After dealing with the eradication team, I should break into the Har Palace. No, I should visit them.
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