LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 18
The crimson haze shimmers from the rock wall gripped by the dragon.
As the cold moonlight wanes and the sun rises from the west, it announces how long the dragon has been occupying this place, embedded in the landscape.
Giggle, giggle
Clapping hands together, the gathered flames greet the mother who shares their first life and let out cheeky laughter.
Bouncy, bouncy, the tiny flames begin to adorn the stage and don costumes.
– Hoo hoo hoo!
– Hee hee hee!
Soft giggles of children resonate endlessly.
‘Hee hee hee’
Hands overlap as they touch each other. A small performance unfolds in the clutch of the Gold Mine Dragon.
‘Will she pet me again?’
The little dragon smiles with satisfaction, gazing at the theater.
Using past failures as stepping stones, she has reached a state of combining elements.
Swish, swish—
She refines the flame’s form with the wind.
Zing—
Harnessing the elements of lightning as a power source in daily life, she crafts a doll that moves as if alive.
A magician who freely combines and separates the elements.
Even the most capable magicians could never achieve such a level.
Even dragons, who considered themselves the epitome of omnipotence, could never reach this realm, yet the Gold Mine Dragon stepped into it.
‘Hee hee.’
Of course, in a clownish manner.
Snap!
The cheerful applause reverberates, sending ripples across the lakeside.
As petite hands clap together, the once-wobbling dolls scatter, leaving only afterimages behind.
As the flames dim, the body of the Gold Mine Dragon begins to levitate.
Releasing the force of gravity, she floats up into the sky.
Zoom—
She drifts up from the plains, rising gradually into the heavens.
‘Hee…’
The wingless dragon moves her body freely.
‘By the lakeside.’
She steps forward.
Plop—
As the young one’s foot touches down, a hollow pond ripples to signal her arrival.
Having floated in the air, she now walks on water.
Plop—
Plop—
With each step she takes, new waves ripple out, creating a chilling echo.
Eventually stopping her dance, Libera hesitates.
The Gold Mine Dragon kneels down.
Slowly raising her wide arms.
Whoosh—
With a grand sound, she sends waves that ripple like a tsunami towards the young dragon’s face.
Phew—!
The river rushes angrily, splashing as it flows down, splitting into two streams.
In the middle of the lake, a channel forms, soon creating a miracle like Moses.
Drip
Drip
Large droplets drench the Gold Mine Dragon’s head.
Welcoming this moment, Libera dances atop the water, showcasing a performance like none other.
‘Heh~ Herih~’
Only remembering the warm, comforting eyes of her father.
Splash!
‘Heh~ Hehe~’
The dragon accidentally releases a clear, ringing sound.
*
In the beginning, the young dragon Libera had less magical power than an ordinary wizard.
Among the bustling mercenaries moving through the guild.
‘Isn’t that the fallen one…? The dragon expelled from the Dragon Lair right from birth.’
‘Tsk tsk, can that thing even be called a dragon?’
Even the white-furred fox, which dragons most despise, mocked her.
‘Hey~ Third-rate dragon~ Crawling out here without shame~?’
Yet, that unspectacular dragon achieved a breakthrough in elemental combination.
The foolish one, unable to perform even basic magic for thousands of years, achieved Moses’ miracles within a few months, erupting volcanoes.
It was from then onwards.
‘My goodness!! Isn’t that the famous Grand Magician Libera from the Edric Guild~???’
The attitude of those who labeled her as a fallen one quickly shifted as they began to flatter her.
‘It is an honor to meet the great demigod-dragon~~’
An aristocratic baron with an oily, crooked mustache rubbed his palms together, showering her with flattery.
Clearly, the dragon’s power was on the rise, and it was likely they came seeking some scraps.
‘…’
It became a frequent occurrence. Since successfully combining elements, more and more wanted a piece of her.
Swish—
As Libera swiftly turned her head, the man clicked his tongue and stomped out of the guild angrily.
‘…sigh.’
Since the combination of elements succeeded, the magic tower and the magic department were all in a frenzy to take Libera away.
Every day they would come, asking about her combination methods.
And sometimes, too many tried to drag away the seemingly feeble Libera.
…What happened to them at the end, there’s no need to explain.
Libera was dissatisfied.
These were the very people who ignored her when she needed the most help.
They turned a blind eye when she sought assistance.
Now that they were begging her to teach them, she had nothing to offer.
The young dragon shook her head repeatedly. The chalk in her hand crumbled and scattered everywhere.
‘…What a bunch of fools.’
The reason the dragon worked hard was that she wanted her father’s love.
When everyone turned away, he was the only one who approached her.
The savior who shared love with the lonely dragon and comforted her.
Despite repeatedly succeeding and fearing failure, the reason the dragon could not stop was because of Edric Guild’s leader, Keyal Kralin.
Now, nothing else mattered.
It was all worthless junk.
When things broke, they would turn away, but when she succeeded, they rushed forward without hesitation.
Only he saw her as she truly was.
Even after all the disappointment and falling behind, it was enough for her to have someone who would bring her back up.
If she believed with no doubt that he would help her rise again, Libera could keep moving forward.
What Libera needed was just one person’s heart.
The interest of hundreds or thousands meant nothing.
Thus, Libera continued to send away those who came to her today and sighed.
Swoosh—
As if it happened yesterday. Libera’s eyes rounded as she flung open the door.
Whenever she wandered along the path, the entrance to her father’s embrace was always visible.
Crash bang—
‘Master… Master… Master… Master…. Where are you…?’
The sound of glass shattering echoes through the partitioned building.
Until a sobbing voice searching for something can be heard in the cramped room.
‘Huh…?’
The dragon was painting a cozy paradise in her mind.
*
His scent was gone.
The fact gnawed at the dragon’s heart, burning her insides.
‘Ugh…’
He promised to stay with her for life.
He pledged with a pinky swear.
It was all a lie.
Thud—
The dragon plopped down, holding her tangled thoughts, reaching out to the elf crying beyond the door.
…Of course, it would be impossible to reach.
With her crimson eyes, she scanned the area outside the window. A fox with nine tails was thrashing about in the vicinity.
It clawed through the mountains.
Crunch—
Cutting through water paths.
Savage—
Moreover, it crushed the ground, glaring and searching for its master.
‘Captain! Captain! Where are you! Just playing, right?! Isn’t that right?!’
Scolding the wounds, it was rattling its trembling paw again.
Where the fox passed, only different-shaped paw prints and the remnants of the mighty winds remained.
The fox likely knew.
As a canine creature, and a remarkable youkai that wielded magic, it would have realized that his trace was erased and his scent was no more.
Knowing this, it had rushed out of the guild much earlier.
And now, it desperately exhausted itself searching for him to deny the truth.
The Gold Mine Dragon leaned against the window.
She stepped away from the door, nestled against the wall, and stared into the void.
‘…’
What had she done wrong for the leader to leave?
Was it because she foolishly fought with the fox out of stubborn pride?
Was it because all the things she had nurtured turned out to be worthless?
….Or if that weren’t the case,
Was it that she no longer needed anything?
The dragon rubbed her eyes as her crimson gaze began to glisten.
Drip.
The falling tears slowly seep into the ground.
Just like the turmoil of the dragon’s emotions.
‘Hiccup… Hiccup…’
Having lost her resting place, the dragon became a lonely soul once more and cried.
Drip, drip.
*
In the dark night.
The dragon, indulging in a dreamy reverie, murmured a brief word before awakening from her dream.
“…”
Rubbing her eyes, her crimson gaze began to shine.
Swish!
Rising from her bed, she wiped the flowing tears away.
‘Hiccup…’
She looked down at her sleeping father beside her and the sister nestled next to him with a wistful gaze.
‘…’
Fearing they might wake, she steadied her trembling throat and lay back down in bed.
Thud.
The dragon twisted her body.
Reaching out, she gently placed a hand on her sleeping father’s cheek and raised a smile.
In a soft voice, she whispered to her slumbering father.
“Thank you for coming back. Dad.”