Chapter 182: Cleenah’s Plan

Cleenah’s question left the Primordial Dragon silent.

She had known beforehand that the Qiezhuran Clan’s situation wasn’t good. But she hadn’t expected it to have already developed into the threat of an attack, and what was more, Cleenah seemed quite certain it would truly happen.

And of course, that certainty was not without reason.

The Eyes of Essence.

The ability Clyne had passed on to Cleenah couldn’t show the future. But those eyes allowed their owner to see all sorts of things that were usually hidden, including a person’s truth and lies.

Since becoming the Clan Leader of the Qiezhuran, Cleenah had met so many Dragons from various Clans. Some came to discuss cooperation, and others simply to relay matters concerning relations between Clans. At first, everything seemed fine.

But gradually, Cleenah began to notice that more and more Dragons were not telling the truth. Some envoys said that their relations with the Qiezhuran were still going well, yet the Eyes of Essence showed that those words were lies.

The same thing kept happening.

Even some Dragons from her own Clan began to show attitudes that were hard to trust. They still showed respect to Cleenah, but when it came to loyalty and the future of the Qiezhuran, not everything they said was the truth.

Of course, Cleenah didn’t immediately assume that every lie meant betrayal. After all, Dragons had their own interests too, and not everyone would state them openly.

But the more information she gathered, the clearer the changes taking place became. A few small Clans began to distance themselves from the Qiezhuran, while relationships that had once been good slowly deteriorated.

And among all those changes, one name kept appearing.

Mercer Cravel, the leader of the Drazhuel Clan.

"..."

The Primordial Dragon listened to Cleenah’s explanation with an increasingly serious expression.

Mercer was no ordinary Dragon. He had already reached Rank-SS, a level of strength that even surpassed Garph’s. What’s more, Mercer had considerable influence over several smaller Clans.

With his strength and influence, Mercer was trying to unite the Dragons under his leadership. Unfortunately, the goal he now seemed to be pursuing was very different from what the Dragon race had once held in high regard.

Mercer supported the idea of invading other worlds, conquering weaker races, and making the Dragons their rulers. Something that clearly contradicted the principles of the Dragons of old.

Cleenah herself had no intention of following that idea. After all, she saw no reason why the Dragon race should attack other creatures just because they had greater power.

But her refusal had only made things harder. The Clans supporting Mercer kept growing in number, while the Qiezhuran slowly lost its influence.

And now, based on the information she had gathered, Cleenah was certain that Mercer was preparing an attack. Not only from the Drazhuel Clan, but also from several other Clans under his influence.

’...Rank-SS.’

The Primordial Dragon frowned slightly.

She naturally knew how great the difference in strength was between Rank-S and Rank-SS. Even if Garph joined the fight, facing Mercer would not be easy, especially with several other Clans also involved in the conflict.

Meanwhile, the Qiezhuran’s own condition was no longer as good as it once was. Not all of its members could be trusted, and Cleenah, as its leader, was still at Rank-B.

In a situation like that, their chance of winning the battle was truly slim.

But there was something that made the Primordial Dragon even more curious.

Why was Mercer doing all this?

Especially since Cleenah turned out to have her own suspicions about that Dragon’s change in attitude, and those suspicions were connected to Clyne.

***

In the past, Mercer, Clyne, and Garph had been three very close friends. They had known each other since childhood, grown up together, and for years had hardly ever had a problem that truly damaged their friendship.

But the relationship between Mercer and Clyne had actually been much closer than mere friendship.

The two were lovers.

Cleenah naturally knew about it. She had often seen how attentively Mercer treated Clyne, and their relationship had looked so good that she’d had no reason to think anything bad would happen.

Unfortunately, everything changed after Clyne’s death.

Cleenah still remembered that day clearly. Before being found dying at the edge of the hill, Clyne had gone somewhere with Mercer.

Just the two of them.

Cleenah didn’t know where they had gone, or what business had made them leave the Qiezhuran. But when Clyne finally returned, Mercer wasn’t with her.

All Cleenah found was Clyne in a condition beyond saving. Her body was covered in wounds, while her strength kept fading until she finally died that morning.

As for Mercer, there had been no explanation from him.

Even after Clyne’s death, he never explained where they had gone or what had actually happened. No one knew why Clyne had returned on the verge of death, or why Mercer, her own lover, chose to keep silent.

What was even stranger was that his attitude slowly began to change.

Mercer no longer showed the same closeness toward the Qiezhuran. His relationship with Garph also worsened, until the two hardly dealt with each other as they once had.

Even when Clyne’s death was spoken of, Mercer looked so calm. As though it didn’t bother him at all.

Of course, Cleenah didn’t know what was actually in Mercer’s mind. She only saw the changes that took place, without ever receiving an explanation for the reasons.

And now, the Dragon who had once been so close to Clyne had become a menace to the Clan once led by his own lover.

’...Strange.’

The Primordial Dragon found it hard to understand the situation. She didn’t know Mercer personally, but Cleenah’s account made her realize there was something they didn’t yet know about Clyne’s death.

Especially if Mercer was the last one who had left with her.

But without knowing what had really happened, the Primordial Dragon couldn’t draw any conclusions. She only felt that the matter might be far more complicated than it looked.

"...Haa."

The green-haired woman let out a small sigh. Thinking of Clyne made her mood sour again, especially now that the one who had once been that girl’s lover was preparing an attack on the Qiezhuran.

It was truly a development she had never imagined.

But the Primordial Dragon didn’t keep dwelling on it. She turned her attention back to Cleenah.

The little girl still stood before her with the help of her cane, showing a fairly calm expression despite having just explained such a terrible situation.

And that was what made the Primordial Dragon worry even more.

Cleenah already knew that her Clan was in danger. She also understood that her own strength wasn’t enough to fight Mercer, and that even Garph wouldn’t have much chance if he had to face the full force of the enemy.

Yet Cleenah still held on as leader. She kept carrying out her responsibilities, preparing the festival, and facing Dragons who didn’t all truly respect her.

’...This child.’

The Primordial Dragon frowned slightly.

Honestly, she wanted to help. Especially after learning of Cleenah’s situation and how the girl had to shoulder so many problems alone.

Unfortunately, her own condition didn’t allow it. The energy she had left was very little, and even keeping time stopped like this wasn’t something she could sustain for much longer.

She also didn’t yet know the full situation of the Qiezhuran, nor the reason behind Mercer’s actions. For that reason, the Primordial Dragon couldn’t possibly give a simple answer that would solve everything.

But there was one thing she still wanted to know.

Cleenah had already realized that an attack would come. She had even gathered all sorts of information about the changing relations between the Clans and the strength of the side that might attack them.

So what did that girl actually want to do?

After all, Cleenah wasn’t someone who had only just learned of this problem. She had realized it some time ago, and even though her condition didn’t allow her to fight, that didn’t mean she couldn’t prepare something.

After all, thinking about it normally, wouldn’t it be better for Cleenah to just flee with Garph instead of staying here, right?

But Cleenah stayed.

The Primordial Dragon looked at Cleenah for a moment. Then she bent down slightly so their faces were closer.

"Does our Cleenah have a plan?"

Her tone was gentler than before. She didn’t want to pressure the girl, but she was still worried about the decision she might have made.

Cleenah fell silent, then slowly nodded.

"...I do, Milady."

"Oh?"

The Primordial Dragon looked a little relieved to hear that, though she didn’t yet know what plan was meant.

Meanwhile, Cleenah gripped her cane again with both hands. She had actually anticipated that this question would eventually come up.

And fortunately, she had prepared something.

It was only that the plan wasn’t something that could save the entire Qiezhuran Clan. In fact, it was just a gamble with a very low chance of success.

Cleenah knew that better than anyone. But with the Qiezhuran’s current state, she didn’t have many choices.

She lifted her head slightly toward the Primordial Dragon, then opened her lips.

"Actually, I plan to..."