Chapter 234

I immediately rushed over to Varen. Putting all my strength into it, I hauled the dragon—heavy as a boulder—upright into a sitting position.

“Varen, are you awake?”

“Ugh... where are we...?”

“We made it back to the rebel base. You’re not hurt anywhere, are you? Nothing hurts?”

“I’m fine. What about you?”

“I’m okay. But Morpha was badly injured.”

Sitting on the edge of the bed, Varen ran a hand through his hair as he tried to gather his senses. He blinked several times, as though replaying the moments before he lost consciousness.

Only then did he finally notice Morpha lying in the bed beside him.

“...Morpha!”

Varen shot to his feet as though he had never passed out at all. He strode straight toward Morpha and hurriedly checked their condition with frantic hands.

I clasped both hands together tightly, watching him like someone clinging to their final lifeline.

“There was nothing we could do. Varen... wouldn’t your saliva work somehow?”

To me, Varen’s sweet saliva was practically a miracle cure.

Even when holes had been torn through my ankle, a few licks from him had healed it as though the injury had never existed.

But contrary to my hopes, Varen only shook his head grimly.

“If injuries like this could be healed that easily, Morpha would never have ended up in this condition to begin with.”

The hope that had briefly flared the moment Varen woke up crumbled apart.

I pressed a hand against my forehead and paced in place, desperately searching for another answer. I dug through the chaotic mess of information crammed inside my head.

“Let’s go to Belzena. If we fly, it’ll take about a day. Can Morpha hold on that long?”

“It won’t take a day. Half a day is enough.”

“What? How could we possibly get there in half a day?”

I tilted my head at the unexpected answer.

Without taking his eyes off Morpha, Varen replied calmly.

“I’ll fly in my true dragon form. If I focus all my magic solely on flight, I can move much faster.”

“......”

As though he intended to pick Morpha up immediately, Varen lifted one of their arms.

I quickly grabbed his wrist.

A look asking what I was doing turned toward me, but I steeled myself and shook my head.

“No. Kaldrok already caused enough chaos that everyone will be on high alert. If you transform into your true form now, you’ll be in danger.”

“That doesn’t matter. Saving Morpha comes first, even if it puts me at risk.”

“If you endanger yourself, Morpha would try to stop it even at the cost of their life.”

At my firm voice, Varen flinched.

His gaze dimmed as he looked back toward Morpha.

After barely stopping Varen’s impulse, I secretly let out a shaky breath.

If the golden dragon of Dravergh revealed himself now, after all the chaos caused by dragons...

There were countless humans waiting for a chance to steal his heart.

I couldn’t begin to predict what might happen.

Thanks to Varen calming down slightly, I managed to steady myself enough to think again.

I searched through every experience I’d ever had and every scrap of knowledge I’d gathered from others, trying to find some way to save Morpha without putting Varen in danger.

But no matter how desperately I searched through the most recent memories and information in my head, I couldn’t find a single method capable of saving a dying dragon.

“...Huu. Again. Focus....”

I muttered to myself with my eyes closed.

All right. Let’s go back to the beginning.

The very first source of knowledge I had about this world had been the original novel.

I sifted through every setting and piece of information I knew about dragons from the story.

Dragons were said to possess the greatest regenerative abilities of any living being in this world.

How extreme were those abilities?

Even if their tails were severed, their claws ripped out, or even their hearts pierced through, dragons were magical creatures capable of regenerating on their own.

I had learned all of that while watching Varen endure torture.

Even recalling it was painful, but I had to find something—anything—that might save Morpha.

“...Self-regeneration.”

At last, a single phrase slipped from my lips.

I grabbed Varen by the arm and spun him toward me.

Staring directly into his eyes, I spoke.

“Dragons can regenerate on their own. But Morpha can’t recover right now because their vitality is exhausted. Then...”

“You mean I can share my vitality with them.”

Varen answered before I could even finish.

But the shadow lingering on his face still didn’t disappear.

Still wearing that dark expression, Varen gently placed a hand over Morpha’s chest.

The instant pale light poured from his palm, Morpha’s body jerked violently upward from the bed.

“Khk—! Kgh... cough...!”

Blood burst from Morpha’s mouth like a fountain.

Varen immediately pulled his hand away and ground his teeth together.

“I can share as much vitality as necessary. But Morpha’s body isn’t capable of enduring the power of Dravergh in its current state.”

“...Okay. Then let’s find another way. There has to be one. Some way to save Morpha.”

I couldn’t let the tiny spark of hope we’d finally found go out like this.

I buried both hands in my hair and yanked at it wildly, as though forcing myself hard enough might somehow produce an answer.

But nothing came.

I squeezed my eyes shut and organized the situation again while speaking with Varen.

“Varen, let’s think this through again. If Morpha could receive your vitality, would they be able to regenerate on their own?”

“Probably. But a small amount won’t be enough. Morpha’s insides are practically shredded apart. I’d need to transfer most of my vitality to heal them completely.”

“And if that puts you in danger?”

“I’m perfectly healthy right now. Even if I gave all my power to Morpha, one day of rest would be enough for me to recover.”

“...Okay....”

Resting my chin on one hand, I slowly turned my eyes toward the Drunkard.

His eyes were hidden beneath strips of old cloth, so I couldn’t meet his gaze directly, but I could still tell he was watching me too.

Suddenly, the deep wrinkles covering the Drunkard’s face caught my attention.

I’d wondered what he had been doing while we were away in the capital that had left him looking so much older.

Then I remembered.

Before leaving the base, I had entrusted Milo and Days to him.

I had asked him to unravel the bond created between them through death magic.

“Ah....”

A low sound escaped me.

This was it.

But even after finding a way to save Morpha, I couldn’t bring myself to say it aloud immediately.

As I silently mouthed words without speaking, Varen noticed the strange atmosphere and approached me.

“Ceryl, did you think of something?”

“...Yeah.”

“Tell me. If there’s anything I can do, I’ll do it.”

Varen spoke firmly.

I deliberately avoided the blazing determination in his eyes and glanced toward the Drunkard instead.

Apparently he had reached the same conclusion I had.

The corners of the Drunkard’s mouth drooped downward.

“That’s a rather extreme method.”

“It might save them for now... but I don’t know whether Morpha would agree to it.”

Since the two of us were speaking in riddles around him, Varen let out an irritated breath.

The grip on my shoulders tightened.

Pain shot through me hard enough to feel like my bones might crack, but I bit down on my lip and endured it.

“Ceryl! Tell me what the method is!”

Varen pressed me desperately, but the words refused to leave my mouth.

How could I possibly tell Morpha to accept the curse of death magic in order to receive Varen’s vitality?

Especially when Morpha was already bound by another kind of curse.

A memory resurfaced in my mind—

Morpha’s barren voice from long ago.

“Our family is bound to Dravergh. Negotiators cannot betray dragons. The moment we commit an act of betrayal against a dragon, our hearts explode instantly. Living while carrying unwanted responsibility is no different from wearing shackles that can never be removed until death.”

Unfortunately, Morpha had already been shackled once.

To preserve the status of their negotiator bloodline, they had been branded since birth.

I could still vividly remember the expression on Morpha’s face while saying those words.

They hadn’t looked pained.

They hadn’t looked depressed.

They had merely accepted the weight of the shackles they’d been born wearing.

And now we were talking about placing death magic on someone like that.

Taking away even the tiny scrap of freedom they still possessed.

Binding their entire living existence to Dravergh—

and stealing even the right to choose their own death.

“Ceryl, please... If it’s for Morpha’s sake, I’ll do anything.”

Varen clutched at my sleeve desperately.

Meeting his eyes only strengthened my resolve further.

This curse would be dangerous for Varen too.

Every time Morpha was injured, Varen’s vitality would be drained away alongside theirs.

He said he would do anything for Morpha, but in the endless span of a dragon’s life, this would become an eternal burden.

And during the time I spent bound together with Leobin, I also—

“Wait. Then it doesn’t have to be forever.”

The realization struck me like lightning.

I immediately turned toward the Drunkard.

“The bond tied between Milo and Days. Did you manage to undo it?”

“I did. Though I had to tear out the memories completely...”

“Why didn’t you tell me that sooner?!”

I practically shouted.

The Drunkard hunched his shoulders and pretended to recoil in surprise.

Death magic was practically the only way left to save Morpha.

The only reason I had hesitated was because of the lifelong curse both dragons would be forced to bear.

But if there was a way to sever the bond afterward, then there was no longer any reason to hesitate.

“Varen, let’s place death magic on you and Morpha. Then your vitality will naturally flow into them and save their life.”

“...What?”

“Once Morpha recovers enough, we can sever the bond between you immediately afterward.”

Varen stared at me with a face so rigid it was almost frightening.

Slowly, he digested every word of my explanation.

Then determination hardened in his eyes.

He gently took hold of Morpha’s hand, their vitality already fading away completely.

“I don’t care if it costs all of my vitality. I’ll choose the method that saves Morpha.”