#131

Kiyen looked puzzled, perhaps not expecting Cullen’s refusal. He tilted his head slightly and asked Cullen.

“Why? Didn’t you give me a name? This child is also a nameless Dragon.”

The Dragon simply gazed at Cullen with curious eyes. His innocent expression, showing no hint of concealment, did not suggest Zarkas or a Demonic Beast.

However, during their past journey, Cullen had experienced many things that could not be judged by surface appearances. He didn’t want to assess others that way.

As Lasano had said, the timing of the Dragon’s appearance was ambiguous. Tomorrow was the full moon. Whether the Dragon’s appearance, at the time the Artifact would reveal the third path, was a coincidence or a plan was unknown. Even if he were to be accepted into their party, it would require thorough verification, and giving him a name first was too intimate an act.

Cullen’s mind conjured up many reasons.

“His identity is not certain. Since Lord Kiyen wishes it, we will naturally consider bringing him into our party, but there are things to confirm first.”

“What things?”

Kiyen asked, as if merely questioning.

“Lord Kiyen said he is a Dragon, so I naturally assume he is.”

He felt a vague unease, but since it was just a feeling, Cullen didn’t argue.

“However, it is strange that he appeared now, as we are searching for the Artifact. Zarkas knows more about ancient relics and creatures than we do. The possibility of their involvement is suspicious.”

“Why would a Dragon cooperate with Zarkas? You can tell by looking at me. Kiyen’s power does not affect me. And Zarkas are beings who move by using Akesis’s power as a host. Their relationship is incompatible.”

Kiyen was firm.

“Furthermore, they hate Dragons because of ‘me.’ It is questionable whether they even have the ability to control Dragons, and they are unlikely to take sides with beings they hate.”

Perhaps they might use them because they hate them, then discard them. Cullen swallowed a thought that flashed through his mind.

“Then, I will simply ask one thing. It is a simple matter of asking. Dragons cannot lie, so one question will suffice.”

Kiyen’s golden eyes sparkled. Cullen disliked it, feeling that his eyes, now devoid of blue light, were so because of the new Dragon beside him. Then he was surprised by his own thought. With a confused expression, Cullen gazed at the Dragon. Flapping his white wings, he met Cullen’s gaze.

“Do you know these beings called Zarkas? Have you had contact with them?”

The Dragon’s black hair fell long. He blinked, then jumped down and stood beside Kiyen, saying, after a short silence, he denied it.

“No, I don’t.”

His tone was flat. It could be a lie, or it could be the truth. But the other party was a Dragon. At least that statement would be true.

“Do you know a human woman named Junon or a human man named Yurisis?”

“Hmm……”

The Dragon rubbed his chin, then shook his head.

“I don’t know. I’ve barely met any humans. I’m always here. Sometimes I fly to the sky when my mother calls, but I like it best here.”

The word mother bothered him.

“Who is your mother?”

“Mother is mother. She told me to call her that.”

The Dragon smiled innocently. Then he grabbed Kiyen’s arm and said with a clear face.

“I’ll name myself! Since Lord Kiyen is Kiyen, I’ll be Kia!”

The tense atmosphere instantly eased. Kiyen laughed at the Dragon’s words. Watching Kiyen look down at his own kind with affection, Cullen turned away without a word.

By unspoken agreement, the Dragon, Kia, headed towards the Eastern region with the party. Kia seemed to take it for granted that he would go with Kiyen. Kiyen felt the same.

He had a cheerful expression that Cullen had never seen before. It was understandable. It was the species he had searched for his entire life. The one he so desperately desired.

After concluding the commotion of the night, the party went to sleep to rest, even if only a little. Ulli said they would sleep for now, mentioning that having two Dragons made them feel secure, and Cullen volunteered for watch. Kiyen and Kia stayed awake, talking continuously.

“Um, Lord Cullen… are you alright?”

Cullen, sitting on a large tree trunk, turned his head. It was Arne, lying on the ground. He had a worried expression.

“What is the matter?”

“After the Dragon, ah… after Kia-nim appeared, you haven’t seemed very happy…”

Not happy.

Cullen mulled over Arne’s words. Was that how he was feeling? Having never felt this way before, Cullen couldn’t quite grasp his exact state. It was similar, metaphorically, to when the Young Duke had dared to try and touch Kiyen.

But the situation was different now. Something good had happened to Kiyen. Kiyen’s joy was his own joy, so there was no reason to be unhappy.

“I don’t know. It’s probably because I’m not good at trusting things, so don’t worry about it.”

“I’m sorry for being so amazed earlier. I guess I’m thoughtless.”

Cullen’s expression softened at Arne’s apology. It was strangely comforting.

“Arne apologizes too often.”

“Do I? That’s because I make so many mistakes.”

Arne hesitated, then finally said what he wanted to say.

“I think what you said, Lord Cullen, has merit. But Kia-nim himself doesn’t seem bad. I can feel that the forest likes him.”

“……I understand.”

“I’m not trying to take Kia-nim’s side… I just want you to feel at ease, Lord Cullen. Still, Kiyen-nim surely cherishes you far more!”

Arne’s last words struck Cullen to the core. Cullen forgot to breathe and stared intently at Arne. It felt as if a thin layer of the shell surrounding his anxiety was peeling away. Yes, perhaps that was exactly what he was worried about.

Cullen was already afraid of becoming Kiyen’s second.

Come to think of it, Cullen couldn’t have been Kiyen’s first from the start. It was something he shouldn’t have wished for, and it wasn’t possible. Didn’t Kiyen always say they couldn’t be together because they were different species? That was the same when he refused the confession, and calling themselves lovers was just accommodating human conventions.

But the feelings he had experienced last night had confused and troubled him. He had thought much had changed. Without Rodiak’s intervention, they had held hands, kissed, and even shared their bodies. He clearly felt Kiyen’s desire for him. He knew Kiyen trusted and relied on him, and even smiled at him.

So perhaps he had unconsciously expected things to change even more. Kiyen had even brought up the contract first, so he thought much would change.

All of that seemed to vanish as if it had never been with the appearance of his own kind. From the moment they left the campsite, Kiyen had accepted Kia’s every word. Kia had many questions, and Kiyen gladly told him about Magic and the world.

“If it continues like this, there won’t be any difficulties, right? With two Dragons, no one will be able to oppose them.”

Ulli said, looking at the smooth path ahead. Perhaps due to Kia’s power, the plants cleared the way on their own. The trees moved their leaves aside, letting sunlight shine down on them. As the weather began to cool, the warm sunlight was a welcome aid.

“Do all Dragons like plants this much?”

At Arne’s question, Ulli shrugged.

“If I knew that, would I be human?”

Listening to their conversation, Cullen suddenly recalled what Junon had said. She had called Kiyen a Gold Dragon. That meant there were specific classifications for Dragons.

However, Kiyen had never defined his own species. Rather, he had acted as if he were hearing Junon’s words for the first time. Therefore, there must be stories about Dragons that even Kiyen didn’t know.

Then, could Kia have been manipulated by Zarkas in a different way? The word mother also felt unsettling.

The more he tried to suppress it, the more the doubts surfaced, making Cullen despise himself. He had asked himself if there was a connection and confirmed it. It was unlike him to cling to an issue after Kiyen had decided to accept him into the party.

Maintaining his silence, Cullen walked steadily. The entrance to the East, which he had thought of as the center of the vortex, was surprisingly peaceful. The party walked quietly through the dense, beautiful forest, devoid of people.

Arne was telling Lasano about the various ingredients she had found in the forest, and Ulli whispered something to Pantel. Since that day, Pantel seemed to neither push Ulli away nor react to her. As Lasano listened to Arne, he subtly observed Kiyen and Kia.

At the very back of the group, walking separately, Cullen quietly watched the scene. Despite the tranquility, his mind was strangely unsettled.

After walking for a long time like that, the group decided to rest when it became noon, with the sun high in the sky.

Kia showed great interest when Arne mentioned cooking. Kia, who had been by Kiyen’s side without a moment’s rest, volunteered to go to Arne, and Ulli and Lasano joined them to help.

With his mind in turmoil, Cullen decided to step away for a moment. It seemed mutually beneficial to go find firewood and game.

As he was about to leave, Kiyen called out to him.

“Cullen.”

Kiyen had a gentle face. He approached kindly and smiled at Cullen. The darkness churning within him calmed for a moment with that smile. Cullen lowered his eyebrows and approached him. It had only been one night without conversation, yet it felt as if they had been apart for a long time.

He walked over to Kiyen and carefully took his hand. Kiyen did not push him away and intertwined their fingers. The warm body heat melted his heart.

“What is it?”

To his question, Kiyen gazed at Cullen’s face for a moment. A brief hesitation flickered, and then, as if making a decision, Kiyen spoke.

“It’s about the contract. The terms of the contract I said I’d tell you when we came to the eastern territories. I originally intended to tell you yesterday, when we were alone, but… it’s not bad now either.”

When the topic of the contract came up, Cullen flinched and looked at him. Kiyen’s face was calm.

“As you guessed, I intended to demand my freedom as the price for the contract. However, much has changed since our first meeting. So, it’s best I tell you what I want now.”

Kiyen looked down at Cullen with trusting eyes.

“I want you to become Emperor. And then, at your final moment, I want you to release me. I will tell you how later.”

He stared blankly at him. Kiyen continued his explanation.

“I had no intention of trusting humans again. But you are the only human I have wanted to trust, and you have actually done many things for me. Carias used me… but I believe you will not. This is something I’ve thought about since I grew fond of you. It wasn’t an easy decision, but I’ve decided to trust humans one more time. It’s because it’s you.”

He squeezed Cullen’s clasped hand and whispered,

“So, I will continue to protect you. It doesn’t matter if you don’t become Emperor. Protecting you, a Larkan, is my duty, and I will protect you until the moment you die. It’s fine to postpone my release until then. Moreover, I now have Kia, my kin.”

He didn’t quite understand. Cullen stared intently at Kiyen, who spoke the word “last.” That word was too heavy.

“You said… ‘last’?”

Kiyen nodded.

“Yes.”

Slowly, the meaning dawned on him.

“You mean my death.”

Casually, the word “last” came out.

“As a human, you will die. Compared to over a thousand years, that time is not long for me, so waiting until then is not difficult.”

Even while speaking of his own death, Kiyen was smiling.

“I will wait so that you can die happily. If you release me at your final moment, I will be able to create my own race with Kia.”

As if his own disappearance was the most natural thing in the world.