Even So

“What I wish to discuss today is Valdrova, the person who will become my partner.”

Those with weaker nerves looked as though they were about to faint.

Seeing such expressions only gave him more confidence.

“At the far eastern edge, land where all living things could once roam freely has been laid waste by the Black Dragon, Godwin, becoming a land of death where monsters are endlessly spawned.”

With that confidence, Ferda lent force to his words.

“The great Red Dragon, Valdrova, has served for 150 years by fighting the monsters of the Far East without asking anything in return. Yet what is the epithet attached to my partner?”

A name that had made everyone tremble with fear.

Yet a name that was scorned as that fear faded.

A name that was mocked.

“A tyrant, an evil dragon. Monsters are always swarming in from that distant Demon Land. They strip their scales and tear their flesh. Their claws are aimed at your homes and families. Despite such devotion, they have asked for nothing. Even amid tearful agony, they remain silent and continue fighting steadfastly. We have received their grace. Even beasts repay a kindness when they receive one. That is why I have opened my mouth here today, to clear their name.”

Ferda's gaze swept over his surroundings.

Many had gathered, but their expressions were already set.

Some were uninterested, some interested, and some were calculating how they might exploit the situation.

Yet their eyes were always directed toward one place.

The dragon spawns occupying the front row.

Masters of mystery, embodiments of power, and servants of the immortals.

“Did you say you are Regent Ferda Valdrova?”

Someone among them spoke.

Was this opposition from the Silver Dragon spawns?

Contrary to his expectation, it was the voice of a dignified woman.

Blue hair and blunt horns.

‘Was her name Erika Iorga?’

It was Erika Iorga, leader of the Iorga spawns.

Bright blue hair and eyes, a sharp jawline, and striking features.

She was beautiful enough to be mistaken for an imperial princess rather than the leader of the spawns.

She rose from her seat and bowed with an elegant gesture.

“It is a pleasure to meet you, Regent Ferda. I am Erika Iorga, representative of Iorga and Tower Master of the Blue Eyes.”

“It is a pleasure to meet you.”

“I would rather not begin our first meeting with harsh words, but given the nature of this motion, I will not beat around the bush either.”

Erika's eyes settled on Ferda.

Sharp pupils ill-suited to her clear sky-blue eyes were fixed on Ferda.

“To put it bluntly, my conclusion regarding this agenda is a simple ‘no.’”

The conviction embedded deep within her eyes was directed at Ferda.

It was not good.

Those eyes were drawing everyone in the Grand Council to her side.

“One hundred and fifty years ago, when the Dragon-Demon War broke out, Lord Valdrova pierced the heart of Godwin, who had put us through twelve years of hardship, and became a hero of the war.”

Her tone was gentle and rational.

But Ferda did not take her words at face value.

“But that was not the end. Lord Valdrova lost control of their own power and went berserk. Many people, many races, and many lives perished. Do you know how many?”

Erika asked Ferda, then continued.

“As the one who will become Lord Valdrova's consort and the person who put forward this motion, I believe you must have conducted extensive research.”

This was something he had to answer.

If he said he did not know, he would only fall into his own trap.

Ferda answered truthfully.

“Half the casualties caused by Godwin during the Dragon-Demon War….”

Half that number had died in half a day.

This was the greatest catastrophe recorded in every history book.

“Yes, half. And that was twelve years' worth of casualties occurring in half a day. And….”

Erika subtly turned her head, drawing everyone's gaze toward something else.

It was Goz Silverwind.

“Even Silverwind, leader of the Silver Dragons, died because of Valdrova.”

Goz Silverwind said nothing.

No, he simply could not.

He was clearly the type to use his fists rather than words.

He seemed to be keeping his lips tightly shut because he could not bear what curse might pour forth if he opened them.

But Ferda, the proposer, showed no sign of being cowed.

If something this minor could intimidate him, he would not have spoken in the first place.

“Their situation differs from Godwin's. At that time, it was an all-out war, with all of Serdes's forces surrounding Godwin and countless soldiers and beasts gathered there. If one rampages amid that throng, becoming easy prey is inevitable.”

“What matters is that Valdrova rampaged then and caused those deaths. Regardless, Valdrova killed, in half a day, half the number killed by the evil dragon Godwin.”

“They killed Godwin, who had tormented the continent of Serdes for twelve years.”

“And they murdered Lord Silverwind. That brave warrior and greatest leader, who cared for others more than anyone.”

Valdrova, who brought about the deaths of the most fearsome evil dragon and the greatest guardian dragon in a single day.

With those two events occurring simultaneously, Valdrova's position was bound to be thrown into disarray.

But Ferda had evidence.

“That rampage was neither Valdrova's will nor something inherent in the nature of their power.”

“If it was not their nature, then what was it?”

“It was merely an incident caused by contamination from the chaos dwelling within the heart of the evil dragon, Godwin.”

Ferda had spoken at length with Mori to make this argument.

“Chaos dwelled within Godwin's heart. The one who came into closest contact with that chaos was Lord Valdrova. Since they directly destroyed the source within the heart, they must have been affected by it, whether they liked it or not.”

Erika's gaze sharpened.

“It is true that Lord Valdrova was closest to Lord Godwin. But you are mistaken about one thing.”

Erika once again seized control of the mood.

“Lord Valdrova was not the only one who fought there. Everyone fought desperately. There were far more who kept their distance from Godwin and were wounded.”

Ferda knew that as well. Cross-checking the records had shown that Valdrova had suffered relatively little damage.

“If what the regent says is true, every dragon present should have been affected. That includes Lord Iorga, who suffered deep wounds. Yet Iorga is still hale.”

Erika turned her gaze.

It was an old man seated beside her.

“Is Lord Odograsado still in good health?”

The old man chuckled as he answered.

“Lord Odograsado is cloaked in a radiant golden faith. Surely Godwin's shallow tricks could not have affected Odograsado?”

At that firm denial, Erika raised her head.

“You see? By your logic, many should have been eroded and corrupted during the Dragon-Demon War.”

“……”

“The chaos seeped in because they destroyed the heart? Of course, that may be possible. But look at them now. Unlike the others who overcame their wounds and rose again, what is Lord Valdrova doing now?”

Erika infused her voice with emotion.

“They do not want to protect anything. They are like a beast that has tasted blood, as though the destructive nature they awakened can never be reversed. The monsters flowing out of Demon Land are what can suppress that nature, and they chose them because doing so would cause the least trouble later. So is it not also true that, despite drawing close to Demon Land, they have no intention of eliminating it?”

Ferda began to see Erika differently.

She was a wall.

Not just any wall.

A wall in the north.

A massive wall built to stop the frost giants and demons coming from beyond the land of ice.

It was called the Frost Barrier.

Ferda had seen that wall as well.

Beyond that wall, there was no mercy or tolerance.

Erika's argument was like that wall.

It gave not an inch, showing those who approached only intolerance and ruthlessness.

‘Why?’

Ferda wondered.

‘Why is she so desperate to kill them?’

He could not understand this desperate effort to completely ostracize Valdrova.

If Goz Silverwind had been angry, Ferda would have understood without question.

But those on the Iorga side, who had no connection to the matter, were acting desperately, as though unwilling to leave even room for reconsideration.

Ferda took in the mood.

His eyes inadvertently swept over the entire Grand Council.

Nobles who sympathized with her intentions.

Alexander, who had acted as though he were on Ferda's side until moments ago, held his breath as he gauged the room.

Perhaps he was making political calculations about the possibility of gaining something.

‘Disgusting.’

To Ferda's eyes, everyone was desperate to kill her, strip her of everything, and feed on her.

‘It was what I expected.’

Ferda did not know what politics was, but he knew what humans were.

The moment someone drew attention and came under attack, everyone joined forces to bring that person down.

Had Ferda not borne the name Valdrova, they would have prowled around him one by one, waiting to tear him apart.

Ferda always kept that in mind.

‘And yet…….’

His insides boiled.

The more it boiled, the more coldly and grotesquely Ferda's face twisted.

He had given up on the idea of persuading them from the start.

Even so, it was not easy.

To face this situation squarely and still have to remain still.

Ferda felt the turmoil boiling in his heart.

The anger he had cast aside and put to sleep was mocking him.

That was why he asked.

‘Valdrova. My heart…….’

You, even after accepting this much,

and enduring every slander and humiliation,

what you wish to love,

must you still steadfastly love and protect it?

Then the turbulent heart began to calm with astonishing speed.

The mocking laughter of anger ceased.

Frail enough to seem as though it might snap,

soft as a young leaf sprouting through damp earth at dawn,

yet melting his frozen heart,

becoming etched deep within his chest,

that heart

answered Ferda's question.

Even so,

“Then.”

They would love everyone.

“I will prove it.”

At Ferda's words, Erika asked him,

“What do you mean, you will prove it?”

“That their taking the Far East as a base is not merely a latrine for venting their destructive instincts.”

Standing on the platform, Ferda cried out more clearly than ever.

“As the representative of the Far East, the regent of the Valdrova Grand Duchy, and Valdrova's fiancé, I declare here today.”

In that case, Ferda's task was exceedingly simple.

He only had to help her spread her steadfast wings.

Holding his head high, he drove each syllable clearly and loudly into their ears.

“I will cleanse and reclaim this land defiled by Godwin, the evil dragon, Father of Demons and Source of Chaos.”

It was a declaration to conquer Demon Land.

Ferda's shocking declaration sent everyone attending the Grand Council into an uproar.

“He intends to conquer Demon Land?”

“The land that even the immortal powers could not conquer…?”

Everyone was surprised and reacted negatively.

It could not be helped.

Once Demon Land was created in the aftermath of the Dragon-Demon War, many people had attempted to conquer it.

But everyone who set foot there dreaming of conquest had failed.

That land, which had been left abandoned after countless people tried and failed for a full hundred years,

“What the great Aspect of Power and Fire, Valdrova, desires is the eradication of the monsters appearing in this land. The ultimate goal of eradicating those monsters is to conquer Demon Land.”

The young regent was taking on that challenge with grand ambition.

“Since Valdrova desires peace on this continent, I too will lend my strength and act so that everyone can understand that ‘evil dragon’ is a false stigma.”

That ambitious declaration from Ferda sent the Grand Council into a great upheaval.

Ferda was the Grand Duke's representative, attending the council for the first time.

At eighteen, he was young and inexperienced—more than enough reason to call him arrogant and presumptuous.

Age and experience were important factors that drew notice wherever one went.

But that was not the case with Ferda.

They assumed he was acting that way only because he had Valdrova's power behind him.

Yet, deeper in their unconscious minds, things were different.

There was a hidden hope that perhaps that broad-shouldered man might actually pull it off.

“This agenda….”

Blancaros's voice quietly echoed through the hall.

At the same time, every voice died away.

Even the dragon spawns were startled to hear his voice.

“Let us leave this agenda here, Regent.”

Blancaros personally asked Ferda to stop.

Ferda had no choice but to accept the request.

The fact that Blancaros, who handled everything through a representative, had spoken directly gave his words unusual weight.

“Thank you for allowing me this opportunity.”

Ferda decided to be satisfied with this much for now.

With that, his debut was over.

Ferda returned to his seat, and Blancaros's mouthpiece took over the proceedings.

“Let us move on to the next agenda item.”

After that, discussions of trivial matters began.

To Ferda, they were nothing but trivial matters, and he did not listen closely.

‘Erika Iorga.’

Her name echoed inside his head.

His old habit from his days as a vengeance mage was unconsciously etching that name deep into his bones.

‘A pointless endeavor.’

Ferda tried to disregard his longstanding habit.

It was then.

-Regent Ferda, can you hear me?

Speak of the devil.

Erika's voice rang in Ferda's ears.

She was using telepathic magic.

-I heard your opinion clearly, Regent.

Hearing her voice, Ferda cautiously drew mana into one finger.

After condensing it enough not to seem threatening, he lightly brought it to his temple.

-I, Erika Iorga, have received your opinion favorably, and furthermore—.

Snap—.

The ringing in his mind stopped as though a line had been severed.

Ferda had severed the telepathic connection she had established.

At the sudden loss of communication, Erika's body flinched.

She subtly turned her head and cast a look toward Ferda.

It was a look that seemed to ask what he thought he was doing.

Ferda gazed steadily at her and answered.

‘Get lost.’

She sent another telepathic message.

-Just a moment, Regent Ferda. I understand that you're emotional. Rather than blocking me, please listen to what I have to say—.

Whenever she did, Ferda simply blocked her again.

-No, listen to what I have to say—.

Whenever another telepathic message came, he blocked it again.

Thus, for the full thirty minutes until the meeting ended, they fought a battle of sending and blocking messages.