Chapter 166: The Clan Leader of the Qiezhuran

Garph was in his Dragon form. His massive body and beating wings filled the vast corridor around him.

The corridor was so enormous that a full-grown Dragon could fly through it without folding its wings.

Giant stone pillars stood along both sides, supporting a high ceiling adorned with Dragon carvings. Meanwhile, the light from large lanterns illuminated the dark stone walls, whose gold accents glittered.

In several places there were wide openings that led straight out to the open air, allowing Dragons to enter the building without passing through the main gate.

He landed softly, took on his humanoid form, and walked down the corridor.

The sound of his footsteps echoed across the polished stone floor.

After he changed into a humanoid, the size of the corridor felt even more absurd. Even the nearest pillar looked like a tower compared to Garph’s current body.

Before him, a giant door came into view.

The door was made of pitch-black wood, with a golden metal frame forming a pattern of Dragon scales. Two carved Dragon heads decorated its center, facing each other with their mouths open.

It was so large that its top nearly touched the ceiling of the corridor.

Garph approached the door and pushed it open with a soft creak.

The door swung inward, immediately revealing a magnificent chamber. Pillars stood in rows, with crystal chandeliers hanging between them.

The chamber stretched far ahead, with a high ceiling decorated with great beams and golden carvings.

Crystal chandeliers hung between the pillars, casting a soft light throughout the room. Their glimmer shone on the surface of the stone floor, polished until it gleamed.

Small Dragon statues lined the edges of the red carpet laid down the middle of the floor.

The carpet ran straight from the entrance to the innermost part of the chamber, forming a clear path between two rows of pillars.

Every Dragon statue had a different pose. Some spread their wings, some coiled their bodies, and some raised their heads as if roaring.

The walls, meanwhile, were covered in golden accents and carvings in the shape of Dragons.

Even though the chamber was so magnificent, its atmosphere felt deeply quiet.

There was no crowd of Clan members, no sound of conversation, and even Garph’s own footsteps sounded very clear in the middle of that vast room.

Then, at the far end of the chamber, Garph’s gaze rested on that spot for a moment. He saw a very thin white cloth, so thin that he could make out the shadow of someone sitting on a bed.

The cloth hung down from the top of a large bed set on a tiered platform, separating the innermost part of the chamber from the main hall.

The lamplight that passed through the cloth made the figure behind it look like a faint shadow.

The shadow had a humanoid shape, yet it bore the horns of a Dragon and a long tail behind it.

Garph took a step forward and drew near, then lowered one knee in respect.

"I greet you, Lady Cleenah."

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. Then, in the next instant, a light and gentle voice was heard.

"Garph," the voice said, just as the figure behind the thin cloth turned. "I heard what you did."

"You brought a foreign creature from another world to our home. That was a dangerous act. But I’m sure you have a reason to explain it."

Garph nodded and looked toward the current leader of the Qiezhuran Clan.

"Lady Cleenah... Have you ever heard of the Primordial Dragon?"

"The Primordial Dragon?" The figure nodded gently. "The ancestor of all Dragons, and the direct teacher of Lady Clyne, the previous leader of the Qiezhuran Clan."

"Correct. Then you must also know about the Primordial Dragon who suddenly vanished."

The history of the Primordial Dragon was vast. But every piece of that history was always being rewritten and endlessly mass-produced in different versions.

To the current generation, the Primordial Dragon was like fiction. Many of them glorified the Primordial Dragon, but not enough to make them acknowledge that the Primordial Dragon had truly existed.

It was as though the Primordial Dragon were fiction that had never once been part of reality.

Of course, this only applied to the current generation. There were still many Dragons from the earlier generations who understood the existence of the Primordial Dragon much better.

And, of course, Garph was one of them.

He hadn’t been fortunate enough to see the Primordial Dragon in person, but Garph had seen a painting made from life of the Primordial Dragon’s appearance.

That was why he had been able to recognize the Primordial Dragon so quickly.

He lifted his gaze slightly. "It is said that the Primordial Dragon suddenly vanished. There is no clear information on where it went, or how, or what really happened."

The figure said nothing, only stayed silent and nodded gently.

Behind the white cloth, the shadow remained seated calmly.

Garph, meanwhile, didn’t waste any time and continued.

"The Primordial Dragon, I met it."

Had Garph been too hasty?

Garph might still have been able to offer a few pleasantries before touching on the Primordial Dragon.

But he decided not to do that, having no intention of wasting any time at all, and focused on his main purpose.

After all, that was just the kind of person Garph was.

The result was another silence.

The figure didn’t answer at all, her shadow staying still without the slightest movement.

Even the sound of the cloth that had been stirring softly was no longer heard.

Perhaps Garph would have a hard time explaining how he had met the Primordial Dragon and convincing the Clan Leader.

But that would only be the case if the Clan Leader were an ordinary person.

Garph looked up as the shadow moved, got down from her bed, and went to push aside the thin cloth that stood in the way of their conversation.

The rustle of cloth could be heard slowly, followed by a light tapping from something touching the floor.

Once the cloth was pushed aside, Garph saw her form clearly.

A beautiful girl with wavy dark green hair, black horns with gold accents in a few places, and, finally, a small, thin black tail behind her.

Her hair fell past her shoulders, while her skin looked pale beneath the light of the crystal chandeliers.

Her body was far smaller than what someone might imagine upon hearing the title of Dragon Clan Leader.

The current Clan Leader of the Qiezhuran, a Young Dragon who didn’t even have enough strength to lead the Clan.

She had been chosen not because she was wise, strong, or anything of the sort.

She had become the Clan Leader only because the previous Clan Leader herself had asked the girl to become the Clan Leader, and had given that approval personally.

No one could oppose it.

And here the girl was now. The Clan Leader of the Qiezhuran, who received no expectations, and no proper treatment or attention.

She was mocked because the Dragons of this Clan were convinced that their leader would never be able to do anything well, which led many Dragons to leave the Clan and join other Clans.

The Dragon girl, Cleenah, had many shortcomings, in exchange for the power she possessed.

Her gentle figure walked down the steps carefully. A white bandage was visible, covering her eyes tightly, and a simple cane was also used as an extra aid as she stepped.

One hand gripped the cane firmly, while the other was raised slightly to keep her balance.

Each step was taken slowly, as if she had to make sure of her footing before moving on.

The sound of tapping echoed softly.

And Cleenah stopped walking when she stood right before Garph.

The distance between them was now so close, but Garph still kept his position with one knee on the floor.

"...Explain further."

The Clan Leader of the Qiezhuran.

She was full of shortcomings, but once again, she had gained power in exchange.

No one could lie in front of her.

That was why Garph didn’t need to worry that the current leader might doubt him or anything of the sort.

When his gaze lifted and met Cleenah’s bandaged eyes, Garph held himself back for a moment, then raised the corners of his lips.

"When I heard there was an intruder from another world near our home, I immediately went to inspect the area. And that was where I met him."

He had met the Primordial Dragon’s own presence, the one the Primordial Dragon itself revered, the one who was Master to the Primordial Dragon, and who had brought with him a fox of the Voidborn race whose value was beyond expectation.

There was a goat girl with an aura that made Garph uneasy, and a Lunari who had somehow had the chance to consume the Language Fruit.

Thinking it over again, that combination truly felt strange and absurd. Even Garph himself had trouble as he explained it to Cleenah.

From time to time, Garph paused to put his words in order.

In any case, the more he told, the harder it became to believe that all of it came from a single encounter.

But once again, that didn’t matter at all, because Cleenah could detect whether a statement was a lie or the truth with her eyes, even when they were bandaged.

After explaining everything that needed to be explained, Garph found that Cleenah said nothing.

Her fragile body simply stood there, gripping her cane with enough pressure to produce a faint creak.

Her fingers seemed to tighten even more around the handle of the cane.

But apart from that small movement, Cleenah showed no other reaction.

Garph didn’t know what Cleenah was thinking, but he at least understood that the current Clan Leader must be feeling immense pressure.

Lowering his head slightly, Garph drew a breath, listening as Cleenah finally responded.

"...When can I meet him? That Master."