Chapter 57 : The Oath of the Blue Dragon

Winter was coming. No, winter had already made the land and wind dry and cold.

Nevertheless, the reason I said winter was coming was that snow had begun to fall from the sky.

Estel Village and the Count’s territory were already preparing for winter.

People’s clothes gradually became thicker, and smoke began to rise from the chimneys of houses.

Pure white breath escaped their mouths, and animals huddled together.

It was a season when most living things became quiet, waiting for the warm spring that would soon reappear.

But one life here was not quiet at all.

“Once more! Please do it one more time!”

Rachel, who had just come down from the ice slide, spoke immediately.

Rachel, wrapped in fluffy layers, had the passion of summer bursting out from beneath them, despite the cold.

[······This is the last time.]

“Hehe!”

In the end, I lifted her up again, placed her on top of the slide, and gently pushed her with the wind.

It was clear that I had not brought Rachel to the cliff to let her ride a slide.

Would I bring her to a cliff where flesh-cutting sea breezes blew just to let her ride a slide?

The reason I called her was because of the control of the ability I had mentioned before.

The power to guide life toward an ideal path.

It was a power that could be described as divine, even beyond divine power.

When I called Rachel and Aria into the air to test the divine power planted in them, how surprised I was to see countless flowers blooming from Rachel’s fingertips.

The power of the five-year-old child was enough to make me, who had gained the power of a blue dragon, shudder.

‘Then, is this power ultimately my power, or Rachel’s potential?’

The powers of the two children were known to Jonan, Arnus Count, and me.

Arnus Count called Rachel’s power “Pioneering.” It seemed plausible when I thought of the scene where Rachel’s power manifested.

It was certain that that power was closely related to me, considering the divine power that appeared when Pioneering was activated.

However, I couldn’t be sure if it was entirely my power. After all, Aria’s crystal wings weren’t related to me, were they?

Therefore, I was at a loss, unable to investigate the exact source of Pioneering.

‘But I don’t know how to correct it.’

The power of Pioneering was closely tied to the divine power that emanated from me.

And I was able to handle Rachel’s divine power in that relationship.

That was the key to controlling Rachel’s power.

[Rachel, from now on, you must come here once every two days.]

“Why?”

[For your future.]

If Rachel couldn’t control her ability, and if it became known to the outside world in that state, what would happen?

It’s obvious. She would become the target of countless people.

Humans, beastmen, elves, even the gods of this world could kidnap her.

Could I, and the Blue Dragon Church, stop it?

‘It’s difficult.’

That’s why I must assist Rachel by my side until she can control herself.

Rachel tilted her head, as if she didn’t understand my words. Her cheeks, which had turned red in the wind, shook accordingly.

Suddenly, the age of that child was etched into my mind.

Only five years old. She was the age of a child who had shouldered a power that even I, an adult in spirit, considered burdensome. If I could, I would have taken back the divine power engraved upon her.

But since I couldn’t, I chose to protect.

I am human. I was human.

Now, I am a blue dragon. Many people speak of me and offer prayers.

I protect those who follow me with the body of a blue dragon.

This was the path I chose, and Rachel was the first target.

[Rachel, the first child I met.]

“Yes!”

At my call, her black pigtails jumped. The small nose exhaled a breath that filled the space between us.

Her eyes, which seemed to contain stars, looked straight at me.

The thought of an ordinary child was no longer there.

She was already a being deeply engraved in my heart.

She was also the one who stabilized my heart, which was secretly anxious about losing my identity as a human.

[I swear.]

That’s why I swore to the young being who helped me decide to live here.

[No matter what happens, I will protect you.]

For that, I will help Rachel from now on. At the same time, I myself will grow.

I will gradually accept the identity of a blue dragon in order to move from pretending to be an imperfect god to becoming an omniscient and omnipotent being.

Who am I?

One who was human but became a blue dragon.

At the same time, a being who wants to become a god in this world.

Finally, the one who decided to protect that golden starlight that follows me.

I am the Blue Dragon.

And a young girl, who deeply engraved my oath in her heart from the sky, sent a bright smile to me.

So, unknowingly… five years passed.

Runan Kingdom, located in the northeast of the Artera continent, was a place that, in a bad way, you wouldn’t call good.

Except for the city where the Lord’s Castle was located, most of it consisted of mountains and canyons, making it difficult for people to settle.

In the end, the lord of Rasten, seeking to profit from the land, imposed a toll on those traveling north to the capital or south.

But even that, compared to other territories, was not a very good road. It was often considered an unlucky territory—one only used by those who had no other choice.

But that was all in the past.

“Stop. Where are you going?”

“Cray······.”

“Go over there.”

“······Do you mean the line that follows the ramparts over there?”

“That’s right, next!”

“Hey, hey, that.”

The seductive voice that came from the hooded figure was embarrassed, but the guard pushed the person’s back and called the next.

A thin and delicate finger holding a round wooden tag twitched as if at a loss for what to do, but that hesitation lasted only a moment.

Soon, the person who had been standing behind ran to the long line, and the hooded one hurriedly followed him.

A wooden tag held in a barely visible hand.

A large tree was drawn on the tag, with branches and roots extending to the edge of the tag.

If someone saw this, they would think it was just an ornament, but the reality was different.

‘I have to hurry.’

This wooden tag was a kind of pass and identification card that allowed people to pass quickly in all countries that maintained a friendly relationship with the Great Forest.

It was a unique item that only elves could use. Not even ordinary people could hold it.

‘It was too late to find Widrin-nim.’

The hand of the hooded figure naturally curled. The humans were too slow, and the news had reached them too late. It had taken them three years to discover that their first god was missing.

The other gods, and Widrin’s two sisters, only woke up about three years ago.

And the first story that He told was about a certain land.

‘The far east of the continent.’

The closed-minded elves did not immediately understand what it meant, and in the end, they were able to understand what Widrin was trying to convey through outsiders who were exchanging information.

An unknown monster, a contaminated land, and a new god.

Their first god was trying to learn more about it.

So, the first leaf of the third branch, who could be considered the knight commander of the 3rd Knights in human terms, came out.

‘I wish I could use this, but···.’

The elf’s gaze fell on the wooden tag. Normally, she would have immediately held this out and passed through the gate quickly, but now she had to be more cautious.

She glanced back subtly. There were dozens of people already behind her.

If she took even one step forward, it was clear that others would push past her and claim her place.

The reason she hesitated was because of the uncooperative attitude shown by the guards a little while ago.

No matter how much the wooden tag was a pass, this place was so far from the Great Forest that even she wasn’t sure whether its roots reached this far.

‘······No, in the end, they’ll find out.’

The hood fluttered, and green hair peeked out from inside.

The elf confidently stepped out of the line and headed forward.

‘After all, how important the Great Forest is to them!’

“Hey, I have this wooden tag······.”

“Ah, go stand in line over there! There are no exceptions!!”

“·········That.”

“If you don’t go now, I’ll have to arrest you!”

“·········.”

In the end, when she returned to the end of the line again, twice the number of people were now behind her.

Walking dejectedly, she saw a crowd approaching from afar and hurriedly joined the line. She didn’t want to be pushed back any further.

As she stood in line once more, she heard panting behind her, and someone sat down dejectedly.

“······Are you okay?”

“Gasp, gasp, I, phew, I’m fine······!”

The elf’s gaze shifted to the back, where she first saw a huge hat that filled her vision.

The hat rocked up and down violently as its owner exhaled rough breaths.

“The water of the Great Forest—take a sip, and you’ll recover quickly······.”

Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!

“A… a little······.”

‘It’s precious.’

Even if I go, I have to drink more.

Many thoughts filled the elf’s mind. But when she finally took the water bottle, there was only a faint sloshing sound.

“Thank you······ I’m alive thanks to you···.”

With those words, the brown hat that had been sitting on the floor rose into the air.

And beneath it, a slender figure in a brown robe appeared.

The elf looked at her with trembling hands and asked,

“Are you a wizard?”

“Yes!”

If so, it was understandable. Strange stamina and ignorance. Besides, when mixed with magic, a being called a wizard was created. Her hat tilted, and her small head popped out. The elf, slightly shorter than an adult man, bowed her head as low as she could reach beneath the elf’s neck.

“Thanks to you, I lived! My name is Estie!”

With that, the white demon tower emblem on Estie’s robe, smiling brightly, glistened in the sunlight.