Chapter 274: The Elder (2)
Louis pondered Sandra’s question, lost in thought.
The position of Elder…
After all the twists and turns, he had ultimately been offered the position of Elder. However, this role carried far more weight than Louis had previously imagined.
An Elder of the dragon race wasn’t merely concerned with the well-being of their clan; they bore the responsibility for safeguarding the entire Current World from impending threats. Could such a position be taken lightly?
“I…” Louis hesitated for a long moment before finally speaking. “I’ll need more time to consider it.”
”…What?” Sandra stared at him, bewildered.
Louis grinned sheepishly. “You granted me the right to choose, but I never said I’d choose right now, did I?”
”…”
“And I’ve only just become a Holy Dragon. I don’t want to waste my youth being dragged into an Elder position when I should be enjoying my life. So, I’d like to postpone making that decision for as loooooong as possible!”
Louis’s audacious words finally broke through Sandra’s stunned silence, and she burst into laughter.
“Ahaha, that kid… In all my long years, I’ve met all sorts of dragons, but I’ve never encountered anyone quite like you before.”
“Is that so?”
“Most dragons reluctantly accept the Elder position after reaching ZERO and learning their clan’s secret history. Huhu.”
Her wrinkled eyes crinkled with amusement.
With a mischievous grin, she whispered, “Let me tell you something good.”
“Yes?”
“The Elder position is inherently demanding, but Elders with the spatial attribute are even busier than the others.”
“Why?”
“The Elder in charge of managing the Mahyeol in Maha has a spatial attribute. Although it doesn’t require as much attention as Silver Flower Castle, it still needs occasional maintenance. And only spatial attribute dragons who have reached Zero Rank can handle that task.”
“Ah, I see!”
Sandra whispered as if sharing a vital secret.
Louis’s eyes sparkled.
So… she’s telling me to delay my arrival as long as possible, right?
Louis nodded vigorously, pretending to understand perfectly.
Sandra’s smile deepened.
“Heh heh heh, Balotus was so thrilled when his successor finally arrived… He’ll be devastated when he hears about this. After all, he’s been without a replacement for three thousand years.”
Louis shivered.
…If I’d been truly unlucky, I would have been roped into this right away.
After all, there was no guarantee that his successor wouldn’t take another three thousand years to appear, just as Balotus’s had.
Louis smiled contentedly at the decision he’d made today.
Sandra patted him on the shoulder. “Alright, young dragon, go and enjoy your youth.”
“Yes, thank you,” Louis replied.
Just as he was about to leave, Louis froze mid-bow, turned back, and asked, “Ah, Elder Sandra…”
“What is it?”
“Have you… perhaps heard any recent news about suspicious dragons?”
“Suspicious dragons? In all my years, I’ve never heard a dragon described with such an odd title.”
“You know, like a dragon that isn’t listed in any register.”
“Do dragons even have registers?”
”…I suppose not.”
“Then why are you asking?”
“Just… you know,” Louis mumbled, unable to bring himself to say, “That Author who created this world unleashed some bizarre dragon!”
Sandra regarded him with an expression that seemed to say, “You’re so bland.”
Just as Louis seemed about to leave again, he stopped abruptly. “Ah, right!” he exclaimed, turning back. “Excuse me, Headman.”
“Still here?” Sandra asked.
“Just one more question,” Louis replied.
“What is it?”
”…What was Lotberia’s final fate?”
“Hmm… I didn’t witness it myself, so how would I know? According to the tales passed down, it was said to be complete annihilation.”
”…”
“It was a rather anticlimactic end for someone born with the greatest talent of his era. Therefore, you must strive to walk the righteous path.”
”…Thank you for the advice.”
That was the end of it.
Louis bowed deeply to Sandra, then turned and walked away.
Sandra silently watched his retreating figure.
“Should we let him go like that?”
Odilia, the Mental Attribute Elder, appeared beside Sandra as if out of nowhere. Like Sandra, Odilia took the form of an elderly woman.
Sandra replied to her question, “What else can we do? We already promised him a choice.”
“But this child was born with all Four Attributes. His potential surpasses even Lord Kaiders and Lotberia’s… If he follows the same path as Lotberia…”
He would undoubtedly face calamities even greater than Lotberia had.
Hearing the worry in Odilia’s voice, Sandra gently shook her head.
“That won’t happen.”
”…Why do you say that?”
“He’s a boy who knows how to cherish others.”
“That kid?”
“Louis is selfish, but not excessively so. He doesn’t have the kind of personality that embraces everything… but he cherishes and protects those he allows into his circle.”
“Is that so? But what if he loses those he’s sworn to protect? Do you think he’ll still be able to stay true to himself then?”
“Hmm… I can’t say for sure. But…”
”…”
“As long as he has someone to cherish, I don’t think he’ll change.”
”…I see.”
Odilia nodded slowly.
She knew it well.
Sandra, the dragon who had lived longer than any other.
With centuries of life behind her, Sandra’s wisdom allowed her to see to the very heart of a being.
That much, at least, Odilia could trust completely.
Meanwhile, Louis left Silver Flower Castle and headed for the Spring Continent instead of the Summer Continent. His destination was none other than Genelocer’s lair.
He’s probably home by now, Louis thought.
When Louis had departed for Silver Flower Castle, Genelocer had taken Ariana back home with him. He should be at the lair by now.
Louis’s sole reason for heading to Genelocer’s lair was to understand the bitter smile Genelocer had shown him before he left for Silver Flower Castle.
Thud.
Ten meters above the ground, Louis transformed back into human form and landed lightly. He walked casually into the lair.
Finding Genelocer inside wasn’t difficult.
“You’re already here?” Genelocer asked.
No, Genelocer spotted Louis first and approached him, carrying Ariana on his back in a baby carrier.
“Is she asleep?” Louis asked.
“She just drifted off.”
Louis, in his young dragon form, gazed at Ariana nestled on Genelocer’s back.
Snore… snore…
Her peaceful slumber made her look no different from an angel.
After quietly watching Ariana for a moment, Louis turned his gaze to Genelocer. He was smiling, a bitter smile much like the one he had worn when Louis left for Silver Flower Castle.
“You heard everything, didn’t you?” Genelocer asked.
“More or less.”
Genelocer’s bitter smile deepened at Louis’s answer. Seeing this, Louis softly called out, “Father.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you smiling like that?”
”…”
Genelocer stared blankly at Louis’s blunt question for a moment, then chuckled.
“Why am I laughing? Because I don’t like it.”
“What don’t you like?”
“Son, do you know why this old man accepted the Elder position?”
“Was it because the former Headman of the Dark Attribute kept pressuring you?”
”…That’s part of it.”
“Or did hearing the secret history of the dragon race ignite a burning sense of duty?”
“Hmm… now that I think about it, that makes sense too.”
Genelocer nodded vigorously at each of Louis’s suggestions.
“But the biggest reason…” He pointed a finger at Louis. “…was because of you.”
”…Me?” Louis’s eyes widened in surprise at the sudden declaration.
Seeing his son’s reaction, Genelocer smiled warmly.
“I never felt some grand sense of duty to protect the Current World. All I wanted was to ensure my son would have a world worth living in. That’s why I became an Elder—to try and make a difference.”
”…”
“But that brilliant son of mine reached Zero’s Domain before this old man even had a chance to try anything. Honestly, I don’t know what to say.”
Louis was speechless.
So that’s how it is.
In his previous life, parents had felt the same way.
No, it must be the same in this life too.
My child deserves a better world.
My child deserves to grow up seeing and hearing things better than I ever had.
Even among dragons, known for their extreme reclusiveness and indifference to others, the heart of a parent remained the same.
The Mad Dragon Genelocer, who nearly plunged the world into ruin for his child’s sake. And my own father, who became an Elder, vowing to protect the world for me.
Though once the same being, their paths had diverged to opposite extremes.
Seeing Louis standing silently, Genelocer flashed a playful grin. “Son, are you touched by your old man?”
“A little?”
“Oh, really?”
“Ah, whatever small bit of emotion I felt just vanished with that remark.”
Genelocer’s shoulders slumped the moment Louis finished speaking.
Louis smiled at his dejected father. “Father.”
“What is it, Son?”
“An exceptional son like me will manage just fine on his own, so don’t worry too much…”
Louis’s gaze drifted to Ariana, fast asleep on Genelocer’s back.
”…Just focus on protecting the world Ariana will grow up in. I’ll help out whenever I can.”
”…Thank you.”
Pride shone in Genelocer’s eyes as he looked at Louis.
Suddenly, as if embarrassed, Genelocer hastily changed the subject.
“So, are you leaving right away?”
Louis shook his head. “No, I’ll stay for a few days.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
His father, who had sworn to protect the world for his sake, couldn’t even spare a few days to spend with him? Might as well consider this my filial duty, Louis thought.
Seeing Genelocer’s overjoyed reaction, Louis couldn’t help but feel pleased.
As Genelocer fussed over preparing Louis’s room, he suddenly paused and looked at him as if struck by a realization.
“Son, now that I think about it, when will you inherit the Elder position? Heh… if that happens, three generations of our family—from your grandfather to you—will sit together on the Elder Council! Haha, that’ll be a historic moment for the dragons!”
Initially displeased, Genelocer now seemed oddly pleased, as if he’d finally accepted that he and Louis were in the same “line of work.”
Louis promptly threw cold water on that sentiment.
“I haven’t accepted the Elder position yet.”
”…?”
“I just told them I’d think about it and give them my answer later.”
”…Is that even possible?”
“Apparently so.”
”…Really?”
“Yes, really.”
Genelocer stared at Louis, dumbfounded.
Then his face crumpled in fury.
“Those damn old geezers ganged up on me, threatening to kill me if I didn’t decide immediately…!”
”…”
“I’d rather wallow in filth than put up with this shit any longer! Spit!”
Genelocer ground his teeth, as if reliving the situation.
Louis watched him silently.
Did Father accept the Elder position…?
Not for my sake, but because he was terrified by the threats of those ferocious Ancient Dragons?
Louis imagined a scene of over ten Zero Rank Ancient Dragons surrounding him, their sheer presence radiating overwhelming pressure. He began to think that might be the truth.
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