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“Am I wrong?”

“There is something. As expected, you are too perceptive. It isn’t fun to make fun of you.”

“How can I measure up to Carlos?”

“That’s true.”

Albatan smirked as he spoke.

“Tell me about what you have learned along the way here. After you woke up, what have you learned about the world that has changed...... I need to know the whole story then I’ll know what I need to tell you.”

“Mmmm.......”

Azell took a brief moment to think about it.

What truths had he learned?

He knew how the Dragon Demon king worshippers were reshaping the world.

He learned about the truth behind the great tragedy called the Great Darkness.

He found out about the Guardian Shadows. He found out about their true identity and mission.

He learned about the identity of the Demon race.

Albatan spoke after he heard Azell’s story.

“Hmm. It seems you know the most of the story. Then I’ll have to tell you the back story.”

“Back story?”

“It is as that Demon, Balserk, had said. There is something fundamentally wrong with the structure of this world. Azell, you told him that you were indifferent to this. In reality, it is an important problem.”

“Why? Even without that factor, the world is.....”

“From the perspective of humans, the world is a mess. However, such perspective is limited. You are looking at the problem from within the civilization created by the humanity. You are looking at problems that should be solved between humans. It doesn’t matter if these types of problems repeats itself or if it is fixed. Every being that lives as a group forms a unique structure, and problems naturally arises from such arrangements. However, there is still a problem that remains even when we pull back from such micro perspective. In this land, I made it so that the humans on the outside won’t be able to covet...........”

“You were attempting to prevent the species of this world from dying out. Didn’t you tell me that before?”

“That’s right. Humanity rose in power, and this also meant there were losers in this world. The result came about, because the ability to cooperate between humans were an advantage they held over the other species. Of course, there are other factors that led to their rise. It would probably take me four days and four nights to tell you my analysis. However, you aren’t a good partner to have such conversations with.”

“...I’m sorry for not being much of an intellectual.”

Azell grumbled. Albatan was a wise Dragon, and at the same time, he was a magician that had learned profound magic techniques. Carlos was of the same ilk as the Dragon. In the past, Carlos had left Azell behind to have a conversation with the Dragon that lasted deep into the night.

Albatan laughed.

“It is more fun to have a conversation with magicians. After I end my conversation with Azell, would the human magician and the Dragon Majin girl keep me company?”

“Ah... Of course.”

“It will be an honor.”

Laura and Yuren were taken aback, but they accepted Albatan’s offer.

“Hmm. Where was I? I believe I was talking about why I established my demonic land.”

After he answered his own question, Albatan continued to speak.

“There were also losers amongst the humans that were being culled. I thought it was too cruel for a species to be exterminated just because they lost the fight. It would have been great if humans could demonstrate forbearance as beings that possessed wisdom. It would have been great if humans could coexist with them.... Unfortunately, this is not the case.”

“...I see.”

It was an undeniable truth. Humans were creatures that wouldn’t hesitate to kill those that are different from them. The reason could be geological or cultural in nature.

“I created a land where the others could continue to live. I created a fence, and I cannot guarantee it will last. Maybe, I’m doing this out of self-gratification, but isn’t there some worth if I can create several hundred years of history?”

Albatan ignored the conflict between the several factions within the forest. The law of the jungle was the foundation, but the forest did have other rules. There were premises that were held above all others.

When an outside force tries to invade their land, all conflicts within the factions are forgotten. They had to face their enemies with one heart.

A species couldn’t be wiped out no matter what.

These were the two ironclad laws that were held up by the residents of the Albatan Forest.

Albatan spoke.

“The problem regarding the Demon race is also a problem that is outside the border lines. Do you mind if I go into a fairly long story?”

“Aren’t you just going to tell me anyways?”

“That is true. I’m not going to give you the right to refuse.”

Albatan let out a playful laughter.

5

“The Demon race occupied a world they considered to be hell, and they were severed from our world. However, distortions of unknown origin cropped up at various locations of the world. It started happening in the distant past. Every distortion allowed a Demon to step into this world.”

The Demons that were able to manifest in this world desperately tried to find someone they could converse with. There was no desire that was greater to them.

However, most of their attempts bore no fruit. They were dragged back to hell before they were able to encounter anyone they could converse with.

How long did they continue these attempts?

Finally, a Demon that had a slightly different idea appeared.

“The Demons didn’t seek to do this initially.....”

When the Demons stepped into the real world, there were always no humans around. Moreover, they were on a time limit, so they desperately searched their surrounding. However, there wasn’t a trace of human around. The reason was very simple.

Dragons were nearby.

“This was a time where magic still didn’t exist. Of course, the Dragon Slayer’s Ritual didn’t exist either.”

This was why the relationship between humans and Dragons differed in the past. The relationship was one-sided. It was simply a predator and prey relationship. The territory of the Dragons were much larger back then, and humans dared not intrude within their habitat.

“They had been given a miraculous opportunity to meet humans, but they were unable to meet any humans. They were devastated by this fact, so they attempted to communicate with the Dragons.”

It was more of a desperation than curiosity. The Demons knew it wouldn’t work, but they wanted to take a shot in the dark..

However, this attempt resulted in a surprising result.

“Maybe, it was possible, because they didn’t possess a real body? The Demons were more active and successful in communicating with the Dragons than the humans.”

It was as if the Demons were able to lend their ability to think to the Dragons. The Dragons had been dull tyrants, yet they surprisingly became lucid. They were able to communicate and converse with the Demons.

It was a miraculous event for both the Dragons and Demons.

Dragons pined for wisdom, and Demons thirsted for conversation. Their wishes were realized.

However, the Dragons were dull beings. It was as if there was a constant fog within their head. They had many questions when they looked at the world, but the answers to these questions always seemed to slip away. Their thoughts failed to develop under the mental fog. Their frustration with their inability to answer their own questions grew stronger every time they met the human-like beings. These feelings began to mount, and it reached a point where they couldn’t hold back their frustration anymore. They went on a rampage.

“Wait a moment.”

Yuren interrupted the story. Albatan turned to look at him.

“What is it?”

“If it is as elder had said... Ah, do you mind if I call you by that title?”

“You may.”

“Yes. So.... Do Dragons have the ability to read mental images of humans?”

There was a theory amongst magicians that said Dragons had the ability to read the mental images of a person. However, this couldn’t be confirmed unless one could converse with a Dragon.

‘I have the chance to do so right now!’

As a magician, he was itching to confirm this theory.

Albatan let out a bright smile. Th party was once again surprised by the fact that the Dragon’s smile could express a variety of emotions.

“If I’m to be precise, we are able to read the mental images of all living beings. It isn’t exclusive to humans. Moreover, it isn’t as if I’m reading it, because I want to read it.... It just flows in. When humans think hard on something, they send out a mental wave that doesn’t dissipate easily. This is why such mental waves come to us even through vast distances.”

The Dragons couldn’t look into their mind. A mental wave flowed out of a person when one had a thought. Dragons had the natural ability to read these mental waves.

“So that is the reason why Dragons pine for wisdom.”

“Correct.”

If a being didn’t know what wisdom was, how could one pine for wisdom? It would be a very strange occurrence.

Dragons knew what wisdom was.

When they received the thoughts that leaked out of humans, they could experience the mental images from the perspective of the person, who possessed wisdom. However, this experience lasted only for a moment. Wisdom sparked in the minds of Dragons for a brief moment as if a light had been illuminated within their minds. However, this light was extinguished in an instant, and the Dragons inevitably developed a want for this light.

Yuren was astonished.

“So this is why Dragons go on a rampage.....”

Dragons were fundamentally reluctant to enter into human territory. They did so for the possibility of earning wisdom through the Dragon Slayer’s Ritual.

However, there were times when the Dragons went on a rampage in human settlement. No one had known what precipitated these events.....

‘Their stress mounts before they explode.’

Even humans went into fits of rage when their frustration mounted. The call of the wild was strong within the Dragon, and this meant that their self-control was weaker than humans. It was very natural for them to lose control.

Suddenly, Azell asked a question.

“When we came here last.... Didn’t Carlos ask about this truth?”

From what Azell understood, Carlos had let the theory of Dragons being able to read mental images of humans remain as being a theory. Azell knew Carlos’ personality well, so there was no way he wouldn’t have asked Albatan about it.....

Albatan answered him.

“He did ask the question, but I couldn’t give him a clear answer. At that time, I didn’t know the answer to Carlos’ questions.”

“I see.”

Albatan had acquired wisdom, but this didn’t mean he had learned everything to do with the world. He continuously yearned for knowledge, so he investigated the unknown.

“Let’s continue my story.”

Albatan continued his story.

The Dragons and the Demons had gained what they had desired. However, their gain was like a daydream. They could wake up from it at any moment.

The Demon race desperately squeezed out their knowledge. They didn’t want this miracle to go to waste. They wanted to make something whole no matter the cost.

Fortunately, the Dragons felt the same way as them.

The two sides were sharing wisdom, and before this miraculous time could come to an end, they came up with an idea. They wanted to extend this time indefinitely, so they took a gambit that would allow both sides to exist in one place.

It was a merging of Dragons, who possessed a body, and the formless Demons.

Albatan continued to speak.

“This was how a being with no parents walked this earth. This being defined himself as being a Dragon Demon, and he named himself as Atein.”

This was how the Dragon Demon race was born.

6

Albatan’s story continued.

“Azell, you are pretty knowledgeable about the 1st generation of the Dragon Demon race.”

“I believe so.”

Most of them had been his enemies.... Still, he had shared conversations with numerous 1st generation Dragon Demons.

“Atein was the first Dragon Demon, but he wasn’t the last. Afterwards, more Dragon Demons appeared on the surface of this world, and the bloodline of the Dragon Demon was propagated.”

Atein had known his own name, and he knew the desire of the Dragons and the Demons that gave rise to his birth.

However, he couldn’t remember anything else.

Amongst the Demon race, there were very few that knew the process in which one became a Demon. Most Demons didn’t remember their prior memories. Many Demons didn’t even realize they had been humans once before.

This loss of memories occurred once again in the process of becoming a Dragon Demon.

“From the moment Atein walked on this world, he felt a powerful desire to find out more about himself.”

Not all 1st generation Dragon Demons had been like Atein. Azell was well aware of this fact. For example, Reshoo didn’t care about the Demons or Dragons.

Anyways, Atein had a fervent desire to learn, so he wandered the world to find clues. As he did so, he became cognizant of his own abilities. He conducted countless experiments to bring out his potential.

“This resulted in the discipline of magic and Dragon Arts forming.... In the process of transferring this knowledge to humans, Spirit Order was born.”

“He really was the first magician. However, I never expected him to have made the Dragon Arts and the Spirit Order too.......”

Azell was astonished.

Wasn’t Atein really the main character of a mythology?

However, Azell didn’t deny or become suspicious of this truth. From Azell’s perspective, it sounded like the truth.

Albatan laughed as he spoke. It seemed he was enjoying this.