Chapter 48

“So, how goes the training?”

“It is proceeding well. Ryu is a very good boy.”

It was late at night, a time when most were fast asleep.

However, Fenrir and Tiamat were sharing drinks and conversing.

“I never thought the day would come when you would actually praise a human.”

“I’m surprised myself. I never imagined a human could keep up with my training.”

“That lad has a certain greed for power within him. I wonder if the day will come when he eventually overtakes us.”

Fenrir spoke with a hint of joy, and Tiamat responded to him.

“Even if that time comes, I suspect it is quite a long way off.”

“I suppose so. Perhaps in twenty years at the earliest?”

“That might be a long time for a human, but for us, I believe it is a very short period.”

“That is why it is ideal. Even if it is a long time for him, it is but a blink of an eye to us. If he can grow strong quickly in that short interval, our pack will be secure.”

“…That is an enviable situation. My family certainly has strength, but they are far too soft on Ouka…”

Tiamat spoke with a heavy sigh.

Her melancholic expression made her look utterly exhausted.

“Draig aside, I raised Gwyber myself, yet she hasn’t a shred of discipline. Far from it, they do nothing but coddle the girl, so I’m the only one left to enforce any rules… Thanks to that, Ouka has turned into a selfish brat who thinks she can do whatever she pleases.”

“…I suppose child-rearing is an eternal struggle for parents.”

Fenrir had a distant look in his eyes.

In truth, he had disciplined his granddaughter, Ril, to some extent, but she had still frequently approached the human kingdoms alongside the younger members of the pack.

Well, it was thanks to that curiosity that she met Ryu and was supplied with the magic she had lost, allowing him to remain energetic even now.

“The world rarely goes as planned…”

“Indeed…”

They drank in silence for a while.

Then, Tiamat spoke up abruptly.

“I wonder if I could somehow force Ryu to become Ouka’s husband.”

“Cough, wheeze! Are you serious?! Or are you just drunk?!”

The suggestion was far too sudden.

Moreover, if Ryu were to become Ouka’s husband…

“Are you really okay with giving the seat of the Dragon Emperor to a human?!”

“A few problems might arise, but as long as he has the strength, there is no issue. Besides, the youth these days lack the ambition to grow stronger, so I thought this might be a good opportunity.”

Fenrir stared in blank amazement at Tiamat, who spoke with total composure.

“Even so, your kind values bloodlines above all else. I don’t think it will go that smoothly.”

“If it comes to that, we can simply have them settle it with a duel. I would rather welcome one who is strong than one who merely has the right bloodline.”

“I… I understand that, but…”

Prioritizing strength over bloodline was natural thinking for a monster.

However, it was also a fact that the Dragon Empire had maintained its power through the generations by ensuring pureblood dragons mated with one another.

“Besides, it seems Ryu has been chosen by ‘that person.’”

“That person? Who exactly do you mean?”

“Our God.”

“No way… You think they would lend Ryu strength? That’s impossible. Their power was far too vast. Many have tried to form a contract to obtain that power in the past, and every single one of them died a pathetic death.”

Yes, they had all died.

Seeking even greater power, ‘Sages’, ‘Holy Knights’, and even ‘Heroes’ had sought out that person’s strength.

However, not a single soul had managed to successfully complete a contract.

“And yet, I felt that person’s power within the type of techniques Ryu uses to discharge magic.”

“…So it wasn’t just me. I noticed it too, but I convinced myself I was just mistaken.”

If ‘that person’ had acknowledged Ryu, it would create a value far greater than any bloodline.

He would be the one who obtained the power that no one else could touch.

“…Is anyone else aware of this?”

“Likely no one. It has been a very long time since that person disappeared, after all.”

“I wonder just when the lad met them.”

“Who knows? Let us ask Ryu and that person ourselves one of these days.”

“I suppose so. Let’s ask them eventually.”