Ep 48. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (1)

Ep 48. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (1)

Ep 48. For Our Future Did Not Exist. (1)

Click.

Even though Serenis opened the door just as usual, the wood met intangible resistance as she pushed against it.

Something was off about the air resonating from her nest’s interior – as if the space had secluded itself into a different region altogether.

Waves of pure, thick mana coursed about her as Serenis walked into the living room. The air was heavy and dense beyond reason; those with lower mana capacities would doubtlessly be crushed under the pressure.

“There you are. Welcome back.”

Serenis turned to the source of the voice. Contrary to her hopes, it wasn’t Patrick who had greeted the dragon’s return.

Iris curtly wove her hand, sitting by one of the couches.

The dragonlord’s eyes narrowed as her sibling also came to view. Beside the female enforcer was Patrick, lying unconscious with a contorted expression and heaving breaths.

“...Is this your doing?”

When Serenis was just about to approach the grinning enforcer, Iris held out her hand in a stopping motion. Her other hand was gently placed on Patrick’s forehead.

“Why don’t you have a seat on the other side? I’m keeping his heart from bursting, but I just might slip my hand if you come too close. You should know how dangerous an environment like this is for humans.”

A horrifying glare pierced Iris’ figure as soon as she made her request.

Serenis spoke through gritted teeth. Her fists tightened as waves of mana violently rippled out of her own heart.

“...Should it happen, you will live the same fate.”

“Good, so this threat does work. I was worried you wouldn’t care.”

“...”

“There’s no reason to be so angry. I just wanted to have an honest conversation with you, Starchild.”

Serenis’ eyes momentarily flinched as she heard what Iris had referred to her as.

‘...’Starchild’?’

‘Starchild’ was a title that dated back to the dragonlord’s own era. In the present, hardly anyone even knew that dragons had a lord, much less said lord’s titles.

The enforcer simply watched the contemplating dragonlord in amusement. She opened her mouth again before Serenis’ thoughts could reach too far.

“Starchild. I have lots of things to tell you right now, but first...I’d like you to swear to never speak of anything that’s said in this room tonight. And I’d prefer if you swore on your actual name, not ‘Zion.’”

Serenis’ glare remained furious as enforcer continued to speak. Small doubts began to plague the dragon’s mind as Iris hinted at the dragonlord’s actual name.

‘...She knows. But how?’

Unfortunately, all peaking curiosities had to be subdued. With her family held hostage, questions could not take precedence.

Slowly, Serenis walked towards the opposing side, seating herself with a furious scowl.

“...I swear. On my name as Dragonlord Serenis.”

The enforcer nodded back, sighing in both relief and satisfaction.

Iris closed her eyes as her figure faintly began to glimmer in blue. The light soon engulfed her entire body, rendering her into a glowing silhouette.

“Allow me to introduce myself again. My name is Iris Alpid, an enforcer of the Mage Association’s enforcement sector. And...”

Iris stretched out her arm and snapped her fingers. Following the noise was an explosion of the shrouding light, scattering in faded fragments to reveal a completely different person underneath.

The enforcer’s uniform-like clothing had been replaced with a long, fluttering white robe that was worn over her black dress. Despite the blue ornament bands keeping the waist and arms tightened, the sheer length of her clothing made them drag unto the floor. Her hair grew tenfold in length, and the red in her hair and eyes were replaced with a bluish black color.

A benevolent smile curved the figure’s lips, but it only came across as off-putting for the dragonlord. Serenis hadn’t known Iris for long, but even she knew that the enforcer wasn’t the type to smile so often like that.

“...You’re not the only one using a spell to change appearances all the time. My original name is Felicis – or as you’d know it, the deity of mana.”

“No point hiding it from someone who can recognize his presence. It’s a piece of the First’s heart.”

Serenis exchanged her gaze between Iris and the shard she held. True to her words, the dragonlord could feel the First’s presence in the room again – but it was radiating from the item the deity was holding, not Iris herself.

“Then, you are...”

“A human. Old, but nonetheless, human – who has nothing to do with the First.”

“...”

The era of demons had ended with the demonkin’s demise. A millennium had passed since, and mankind had long forgotten the histories of the olde that ruled their star.

But right now, sitting before Serenis was a mortal who still remembered that era. An individual who yet carried the remains of the First. A mortal who yet called her Starchild.

Quiet words escaped the dragonlord’s lips.

“...A human...but not a human of this era.”

Demons had become a myth. Even the kin had forgotten the notion of lords. To remember her ancient title, one’s age would have to far surpass just a few centuries.

Iris let out an exasperated sigh at the remark. When she pressed the blue shard into her chest again, the fragment sunk right back into her, the First’s presence fading with it.

“You’re right. It’s been an entire era...we, the Twelve, are relics of the past. I suppose you could say we’re the former mankind.”

A few minutes passed in silence as the revelation sunk in for Serenis.

The First had never spoken of the origins of his divine authorities. Hence, it hadn’t occurred to Serenis that his heart would be its source.

‘To think that the First’s legacy would continue...in the hands of man...’

In retrospect, it may have been an obvious outcome.

As her heir, Vulka had inherited the dragonlord’s heart, which Serenis now carried herself. But without a proper heir to inherit the First’s, anyone could’ve obtained his heart after his death.

Mankind’s greed was infinite. Perhaps this was a natural outcome. But...

‘...For what did we struggle so? Is this what we gave our lives for? We...’

Seeing the draping gloom over the dragon’s face, Iris tapped on the table, once again pulling Serenis out of her thoughts.

“Aren’t you curious? The reason we’re regarded as deities, despite being fellow man who simply carry a piece of divinity within us?”

“...What I do wish to know is the reason you’re choosing to speak of this matter.”

“To be blunt, it’s because I have a favor to ask. But to ask it, I need your trust. And to earn that trust, explanations are in order.”

“Holding one’s family hostage is not an ideal method to earn trust. Nor is it an ideal method in asking favors.”

“...I agree, but the method is still superior to dying. And I would be dead if I hadn’t taken Patrick hostage.”

“...”

The room momentarily fell silent. Once again, Serenis couldn’t deny the statement.

Iris dismissively wove her hand, pushing the topic aside.

“Your sacrilege was not liberation, Starchild. Nor was it the end of the demon era. The First played no part in the remaking of this star.”

“...Remaking? The star was remade?”

Iris solemnly nodded in response. She threw her gaze to the ceiling, reminiscing a distant past.

A thousand years. It’d been a thousand years already.

“This is a rather old tale now. How should I begin...”

A/N:

[Confessions of the Historian (3)] will replace the story Iris tells Serenis.

Wow, can’t believe it took almost 50 entries to get to this point! I’m not sure how obvious it was that Iris had something else going on, but in case anyone is curious...this is why Eisenhoff’s drug failed, and why Iris was able to recover her injuries when Patrick’s wounds stayed. The unnamed individual watching Serenis and Gio’s duel at the end was also her!