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Chapter 55
Turncoat
The talks concluded, and Ruri slipped away from Jed and Arwen, heading somewhere.
She already knew what the Grand Council Hall looked like.
So she knew where humans mingled, and she knew where Dragon Spawns gathered.
Unlike humans, Dragon Spawns were far removed from socializing.
They weren't weak enough to build power by sucking up to someone, and at the same time, it was their pride as dragons.
Еn̊ũm̄ а̊ .іď
Ruri headed for the second floor.
Ascending the spiral staircase, she saw twelve doors centered around it.
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The 12 Dragons of the Serdes Continent.
Evil Dragons, Guardian Dragons—all dragons were there.
Of course, Godwin was there too.
Ruri looked up at the grand door engraved with Silverwind's fragment.
Е ň û m а .і d
"......."
Sharply protruding horns and a sleek body.
A bearing that no one could deny in terms of valor.
Even though over a hundred years had passed since he left this world, his image lingered.
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That lingering weakened Ruri's heart.
The loyal maid of Valdrova Castle.
W̆ѐ b̆n̊о̄ vе̊l Е́ ñ üm̃ӑ
The sharp-tongued maid who blew wind and answered 'no' to what wasn't—she wasn't there.
Only a girl clutching her pounding chest with both hands, barely managing to open the door.
Kiiiiik—.
The door hinge sound stretched long.
What was visible was a long corridor.
And the soldiers guarding its front.
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They were Silverwind's warriors.
The warriors' chatter, which had been noisy, cut off.
They turned their gazes toward Ruri.
The atmosphere froze in an instant.
"What are you, kid?"
One of them, not knowing any better, looked at Ruri and swaggered over.
W̄ ёb̄ n о v̀ еl̄ Е ṅů m̌ а̀
"You smell of someone who inherited Silverwind-nim's blood, but I've never seen you before. Where's this spy from?"
"......."
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"If you spoke, you should answer. Or do you want to play rough with this oppa? Huh?"
"Cut it out."
The one who dispersed the rising tension was the man sitting with a staff.
He was the captain among that group.
Е̄n̈ ú m̆_a. îḋ
"Don't worry, Captain! Would I cause an accident killing someone in Blancaros's domain?"
"Be glad it's Blancaros's domain. Outside, you wouldn't even have bones left."
"What nonsense? Do I look like a weakling who can't even beat a child?"
"You'd lose to a child."
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His eyes turned to the maid girl.
"Because you don't think you can beat the Mobile Brigade Commander."
W̌ӗbn̆ оvӗl̊ Е́ n u.m̂ ȧ
"Mobile Brigade Commander...?"
Fear shaded the eyes of the man who had been so confident.
"Don't tell me... that... Ruri of the Blade Wind...?"
He turned his head with an unbelieving face.
He'd never seen her face, but her fame was widespread.
If they were fellow Silver Dragon Spawns, they'd have felt fear at her reputation.
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The man froze and stepped back.
His outstretched hand trembled and withdrew.
Ruri walked through the distance he yielded, approaching the man with the staff on his shoulder.
Ruri and the man met eyes.
The two had known each other since long ago.
"It's been a while, Percival."
W еb̄n о̃v̀ ӗ l̈_ Én̄ ùm̈а̂
"It's been a while, 1st Mobile Brigade Commander. No, since you retired, should I call you former commander? No, that won't do either."
The favor in Percival's voice dried up.
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"The word 'traitor' suits you just fine."
Traitor.
The three-syllable word seemed to pierce Ruri's chest.
But it was something she had prepared for.
En̂úm a.і d̂
"So what brings you here?"
"I came to see Goz...-nim."
"Then you've made a wasted trip. Go back."
"I want to talk."
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Kang!
The black staff the man held struck the floor.
Е̊ n̄ úmӓ
"Seems you've forgotten a lot in the 200-odd years, Ruri Silverwind. Since when did Silverwind's proud children start talking?"
"......."
Silverwind were inherently rough warriors.
They were the ones who caught demons and frost giants beyond the ice wall.
Action over words.
They were ones for whom bodily conversation was closer.
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"Understood."
Knowing that well, Ruri bowed and withdrew.
She turned her body and walked away.
"Wait."
Percival stopped her. Her half-raised foot froze in place.
"Go in."
Ӗnūm а. iḋ
"?"
"The Chief permitted it."
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She couldn't believe those words, but soon realized they were true.
The door that seemed like it would never open for her began to open.
Ruri walked forward again.
An even denser pressure than at the entrance pressed down on her.
E n̂ umа̄ .іd
Hostile gazes felt like spears stabbing her.
Receiving those gazes, she moved her heavy shoulders.
There, like a king's audience chamber, a single throne facing the main gate was placed, and a man large as a bear sat there.
Different from the soldiers guarding the entrance.
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Luxurious fur coat and gold rings.
Where skin wasn't properly covered, magic tattoos engraved through ritual densely filled his body.
Е̄ n ů m̀ ȧ
Everything was what she knew of Goz Silverwind.
'No, there's something different.'
Unlike before, Ruri felt a pressure on a completely different level.
Even among Dragon Spawns there were hierarchies, but they weren't absolute.
But what she felt now was standing before absolute authority.
The sensation sleeping inside her gave the answer.
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'Silverwind-nim's... essence?'
After Silverwind's death, the Dragon Essence had been absorbed by Goz, chief of the Silver Dragon Spawns.
'But it's unstable.'
He held the essence, but hadn't fully melted it in.
He hadn't completely absorbed Silverwind's power into his body.
That's probably why he was barely standing on two legs.
E n̊ ú m̀ а̄
"Valdrova."
He opened his mouth.
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No greeting like 'long time no see'.
"Is Valdrova well?"
He swirled the whiskey in his glass.
Ruri nodded.
E ńu mǎ
"Yes. She's driving out the Far East's monsters, working day and night to protect the continent."
"I see. That must be thanks to you taking good care of her?"
"......Yes."
"Are you proud?"
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"......."
Ruri couldn't easily open her mouth.
Еñu̇m а . іd̃
Goz's cold gaze stared at Ruri.
"Did I ask a difficult question?"
"No."
"Yet there's no answer."
She answered like a rope finally snapping in a terrible storm.
"......It is a proud thing."
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"Right, so it is."
Pachang!
The glass he held shattered.
The cold atmosphere froze completely.
Ruri's body stiffened under that gaze.
"So tell me, what face does the traitor who's served that bitch well have to show up here?"
Wе̄ b nö v́еľ E ṅu m ӓ
The environment surrounding Ruri was hostile to her.
Even so, Ruri opened her mouth.
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She came for this moment, so she had to.
"Do you still... hate Valdrova-nim?"
At her question, Goz's eyes turned fierce.
"I understand your master speaking that way. But don't call that woman 'nim' in front of me. You're a Spawn who received Silverwind's blood. Your master is Silverwind, only that one."
Е n̂uḿ а̀
"I am a Silver Dragon Spawn, but right now, she is my Master-nim."
"Before that woman is your master, your master is Silverwind-nim. Who is Silverwind-nim?"
"The Great Owner of Wind and Steel."
"Right. He was the owner of speed that no one could break. He was one who never wavered."
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Goz's neck veins bulged.
"But...."
Ẇе́bn̄о̃ v̈ еl Е̊ṅumӓ
Ruri felt it in that calm voice.
"But...!"
He was still sharpening his blade of revenge.
"That bitch bit his throat! With those teeth, she tore into his neck and severed the artery! This scene of slaughter—these two eyes! This chest felt it!"
"......."
"You asked if that bitch is hateful? The hatred toward that bitch still burns fiercely in this chest."
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Ruri squeezed her eyes shut.
Every time he shouted, rising emotions became uncontrollable.
Watching Ruri suffer, Goz snorted.
"His death is still vivid in this chest, but you seem different."
"I also saw and felt it. And that pain too... I feel it vividly."
Ruri had also participated in the Dragon-Demon War to kill demons.
Ӗǹu.m ӓ
And she witnessed Silverwind's death.
As a Spawn, she felt her master's death and grieved.
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"I also resented my Master-nim."
It was something that couldn't be helped.
Silverwind was a father to Ruri.
Valdrova, who drove her father to death, could only be hateful.
En.ú m а
"But... I cannot hate her."
"No, that's not true."
Goz denied it.
"If you truly felt what we felt, you would've given up standing on her side."
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"......."
"You were just a little apart, and you got dyed by that bitch. You forgot your root."
Е̊ n u mа́
Goz picked up a new glass and poured whiskey again.
"Valdrova is still our enemy. As long as she exists on this Serdes Continent, our hatred will not end. This is the will of all Silverwind."
"Is that so...."
It was expected.
She already knew it was a futile dream.
"But... I'll give you a chance."
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Chance.
Ruri lifted her head.
"What is it?"
She harbored hope that maybe, just maybe, she could soften that hatred toward Valdrova even a little.
Goz held out his hand toward Ruri.
"Ruri Silverwind. Return to the clan's embrace."
Е̄ numâ.ǐḋ
The thread of hope snapped.
"Return to the embrace... does that mean leave Valdrova-nim's side?"
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"Now that a Regent exists, there's no reason for you to serve that woman."
"......."
"You've done everything Silverwind-nim gave you. So return to the clan and become a warrior. Ruri of the Blade Wind. Rise again to the Mobile Brigade Commander position and beat down the riffraff rushing from the North. Then I'll erase the stigma of traitor from you."
The name that had been stabbing her chest.
Ŵ ёb́ ńоṽѐ l̇ Ë n̂ u ṁ ӑ
But that pain was nothing compared to the responsibility she carried.
"I can't...,"
The natural refusal tried to leave her mouth.
At that moment, Ruri's body swayed greatly.
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"There is no refusal. Ruri Silverwind."
The spirit emanating from Goz's body directly pressed down on Ruri.
Ŵé bń оvě l Еn ů ḿ а̇
"My blood now holds Silverwind-nim's authority. You know what it means for a Dragon Spawn to resist authority, right?"
Death.
For a Dragon Spawn who doesn't obey authority, there's only death.
"Resisting that authority won't do you any good. So."
Goz's index finger pointed at the floor.
"Kneel before me and obey."
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Goz's words weren't bluster.
Ruri, who hadn't batted an eye, broke into cold sweat.
She felt like someone was choking her, gripping her heart.
If she refused his words, it would inflict pain like tearing out her own heart.
Even though he'd only absorbed a tiny fraction of Silverwind's essence, it was this much.
'I must not shrink back.'
E n̆ũ m̂ а̃.
Ruri resisted desperately.
She clutched her apron with both hands, forcing strength into her trembling legs.
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That was the best she could do.
And that was all.
"You endure well."
It was genuine admiration.
W̆е̊ b n̄ ӧv̆el̊ Е̇ ñum ӓ
Other Spawns would've knelt long ago under such force.
"Right. That's why Silverwind-nim must have favored you."
Goz didn't like that attitude.
He didn't want to force obedience through authority alone.
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It was far from the complete obedience Goz pursued.
"If it's that hard to leave, shall I make it easy to decide?"
È n̆u.m̌â .i d
Goz tilted his head.
"That Regent must know your identity. But does that man know why you went there too?"
"......!"
The composure on her face cracks.
Sweat-soaked hands dampen her apron.
"Do you think he'll protect you even knowing your identity?"
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Ferda Valdrova.
He loves Valdrova.
And he's a man who shows no mercy to those who threaten her.
'If Ferda-nim finds out....'
What would Ferda do?
The will that had endured the pressure crumbles under suspicion.
Е n u̇ mа. î d̃
'I....'
Fear overwhelms.
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It chokes her breath so she can't even scream.
'What should I....'
She sinks completely into a sticky swamp.
She screams silently.
Éńû m̈ а̀
Please.
Please, someone help.
"It's rude to barge in uninvited, but."
The answer reaching Ruri's ears was a familiar voice.
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"What are you doing to my attendant?"
* * *
Е n u m̂ā
Ferda was moving to find Ruri.
Finding Ruri wasn't difficult.
She said she went to talk with Silverwind.
So she'd be beyond this grand door engraved with Silverwind's fragment.
Ferda stood before it and thought.
'Am I meddling unnecessarily?'
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Valdrova's attendant.
But a Spawn carrying Silverwind's blood.
She must have anger toward Valdrova, but Ruri might not have ill feelings.
Ferda had no reason to interfere in that family reunion.
But.
He tried to think that, but it wasn't easy.
Е̌ṅ ů m̂ ӑ . і d̈
When Ferda was at the Grand Council, Goz Silverwind's expression came to mind.
At the same time, Erica's warning surfaced.
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-The enemy you need to watch is separate. Silverwind.
Dragons are immortals.
Once they hold a grudge, they never let go.
Silverwind is the same.
Е n̄um̀ а̂ .і̆ d
'Was it a mistake?'
Even if Ruri threw a fit.
Even if Valdrova asked, should he have refused?
Ferda couldn't erase that thought.
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That's why he reached the Spawns' lounge.
What he saw were Silverwind soldiers guarding the inner room door.
Е ṅū m̄а
And thick Dragon Fear.
Certain.
It wasn't unnecessary meddling.
Ferda walked toward the center of that energy.
"Are you the Valdrova Regent?"
The Dragon Spawn with a staff on his shoulder, Percival, stood and asked.
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"Is Ruri here?"
"Answer the question."
"I asked if Ruri Silverwind is here."
Percival didn't retreat and blocked his path.
"She's here."
"Then move."
Е̄ num a
"This is a family matter, Regent. Not your place to interfere."
One doesn't meddle in family matters.
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Especially in dragon society, it was an inviolable domain.
But Ferda didn't respect that domain.
"If you'll block me, I'll have to break something."
Ferda's blue eyes stared straight at him.
Е̌ n̄ ŭ m ӓ .i d̀
"Then Blancaros's Hand will sanction you. Can Silverwind's descendants bear the disgrace of causing trouble?"
"......."
"If you're confident, go ahead. I'm prepared to lose."
Percival stepped back.
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He signaled his subordinates with his eyes, withdrawing them completely.
Ferda opened the door.
E n̂u̇ ḿ а̌ . і̆d̀
Ruri was visible.
Ruri's figure, about to kneel before Goz.
Her suffering appearance.
At that moment, all of Ferda's stray thoughts vanished.
His vision focused clearly on one spot.
The figure of a scoundrel playing king.
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"It's rude to barge in uninvited, but."
Ferda spat out the anger he held in his mouth.
"What are you doing to my attendant?"
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