Radiant Dragon’s Otherworldly Reincarnation - Chapter 313 : Chapter 313
Chapter 313. You Are an Official Disciple of the Twin Dragon Sect (2)
“Th… three months?”
A look of extreme displeasure appeared on Patrick’s face.
At that, the Azure Dragon hurriedly said.
-It cannot be helped. We need time to gather the constellations we currently possess into one and deliver them to you completely.
“Even so. You’re telling me to just sit here drinking and fooling around for three months… that sounds nice.”
-…….
“No, no. I’m a busy person. If that’s the case, I’m going home, so you guys come find me in three months.”
As Patrick tried to leave, the Four Calamities made a fuss and stopped him.
-You can’t.
-Stay where we can see you.
-Please….
From their perspective, Patrick was the long-awaited man of prophecy and the person on whom they had bet their fate to be liberated.
They couldn’t just let such a person wander around outside.
“Ugh…. I’m busy.”
-I’m not just saying this. I’m asking you to stay because I have a favor to ask of you.
“A favor? Of me?”
-That’s right.
“For free?”
-That’s… huh?
“No, I’ll cooperate with smashing the Heavenly Demon since it’s something a righteous (?) great master of Murim should naturally do.”
-…….
“But a favor is unrelated to that, isn’t it? You’re just going to ask me for a favor when there’s no benefit for me?”
-…….
“Tsk tsk, how can a person (?) be like that?”
At Patrick’s words, the Four Calamities all had the same thought.
‘What kind of human is this?’
Yes.
Man of prophecy or not, it was normal to have such thoughts.
In the end, at Patrick’s attitude of absolute refusal of unpaid labor, the Azure Dragon said.
-I will give you a reward.
“Of course, you should.”
Patrick grinned.
“Ah, for the record, making a big deal out of a small amount of money is the nineteenth thing I hate. You wouldn’t do that, would you? Huh?”
-Why do you hate so many things…. Never mind.
The Azure Dragon let out a deep sigh and continued.
-If you listen to our request and defeat the Heavenly Demon in the future, we will give you everything we have built up in this world.
“…Everything? You mean…”
-All the treasures we have received as offerings from the servants of Kalaron.
“……”
-And you can take all the rights of dominion over our retainers.
“……”
-In other words, everything that belongs to this Pavera will become yours. How about it? Are you satisfied now?
“Oh my, do you even have to ask? What can I do for you?”
-…….
Patrick put his hands together in front of him and said with a silly grin.
The Azure Dragon, who had spoken, was rather flustered by Patrick, whose character had suddenly changed from a thug to a sycophant.
“What is the favor you would like to ask? Just leave it to me, and I, Patrick Schneider, will do my utmost with all my loyalty and will not shy away from any hardship.”
It felt ominous seeing Patrick with his eyes turned to gold.
But….
‘There is no one else to entrust this to but this man.’
-I would like you to take in and guide a child I am looking after.
“Huh? A child? Are you married?”
-It’s not like that. It is the child of a friend I made in this world. A poor, pitiful child who recently lost their parents and has to bear a heavy burden on their small shoulders.
“Hmmmm….”
-Please, I hope you will teach that child well and lead them on the right path.
“Well, alright. Guiding people on the right path is my specialty.”
-…….
He didn’t have the slightest bit of faith.
Regardless, Patrick nodded and said.
“So? Where is the child I am to teach?”
“I will guide you.”
And the Azure Dragon moved somewhere with Patrick.
Passing through the volcanic area where Patrick first met the Azure Dragon, to a slightly more distant rocky mountain area.
This place was recently declared off-limits by the Azure Dragon.
He had personally ordered that no being should approach it.
And what he took Patrick there to show him was….
-I would like you to take care of that child.
There, a woman was swinging a large greatsword.
Her simple attire of leather pants and a white shirt, with her black hair tied back tightly, momentarily reminded him of Isabella.
But looking more closely, her physique was much larger.
She was much taller than an average woman, with impressively long and slender limbs.
And despite being so tall, her body was perfectly balanced.
Such a woman was wielding a sword taller than herself.
‘She’s naturally gifted.’
Looking at her skeleton alone, she had the most optimized body type for learning martial arts.
Curious, Patrick asked the Azure Dragon.
“Who is that lady?”
-I will call her over myself.
And the Azure Dragon called her name.
-Persona, come here.
“Uncle?”
Was she so focused on her sword that she didn’t even know who had come?
The moment she finally turned her head this way, Patrick could see her face.
‘She’s a peerless beauty, no less than my wife.’
Beauties were always welcome.
More so than scruffy men.
She called the Azure Dragon ‘uncle’ and came over to greet him politely.
And then….
“Who is the person next to you?”
-Greet him. This is the man of prophecy we have been waiting for for a long time.
“……!”
At that, her eyes widened like saucers.
It seemed she knew what a man of prophecy was.
“Then…. This person will face the Outer God…”
-It will be so.
At that, she knelt before Patrick on the spot, bowed her head, and said.
“I am in the presence of a great being. I am Persona, daughter of Arcana.”
“Uh, yeah. It’s overwhelming, so raise your head.”
Huh?
But whose daughter did she just say she was?
It felt like he had heard that name somewhere before.
“Ah?! Arcana.”
Although Patrick was terrible at remembering people’s names, he managed to remember this one.
It was because it was the occasion that had made his name known on this continent.
“Sword Dragon Arcana?”
“Yes. That is correct.”
“Then the young lady’s identity is perhaps…?”
-This child is a dragon.
The Azure Dragon answered Patrick’s question in his stead.
And he said with a low sigh.
-Sword Dragon Arcana was one of the few friends I made in this world.
“……”
-That friend recently met with a misfortune at the hands of a Black Mage. And this child is now taking refuge under my protection.
Patrick scratched his head and said.
“That…. I’d like to hear the details.”
It seemed like he needed to hear this.
The Azure Dragon sighed and opened its mouth.
And he explained to Patrick the tragedy that had recently occurred among the dragon clan.
Everything from the Black Mages raiding the dragons’ hidden stronghold to most of the dragons being killed there.
“…I see, the story all connects.”
After hearing the whole story, Patrick nodded his head.
According to the story, the time the Black Mages waged war on the dragons coincided with the time Patrick entered the Holy Theocracy.
Then it made sense that the Black Mages had left the Holy Theocracy in large numbers at that time.
They had committed all their forces to the war with the dragons.
‘The timing coincided, coincidentally.’
Now he felt like he knew the truth.
“But the dragons lost to the Black Mages?”
-That is so.
“Does that make sense? The Black Mages are quite strong, but they are still dragons.”
The strongest race in the middle world.
The guardians created by God.
That’s what dragons are.
Yet not just one or two, but the entire clan suffered damage close to extinction.
‘Does that make sense?’
Patrick had also fought against Black Mages.
Their power was strong, but they didn’t have that much strength.
To Patrick’s question, the Azure Dragon answered.
-There are two reasons for the defeat. First, the weakening of the dragons’ power was the cause.
“What does that mean?”
-After the war with the Outer God, Yupinel and Kalaron entered a period of hibernation.
“So?”
-As dragons who directly receive and use the power of the gods, they could only gradually weaken.
“……”
Indeed, this time too, the story fits.
‘Come to think of it, in history, the most plausible theory was that the dragons lost their power in the war against the demon race and disappeared.’
It was something he had heard during a liberal arts class with Butler Lawrence in his childhood.
-And the second reason is that the Jonsa of the Black Mages used a retainer of the Outer God.
“What’s that now?”
-You’ve probably fought one once before. The existence of a deceased person who was defeated by the Outer God and fell to become his retainer.
“Ah….”
He could understand immediately.
He was talking about the existence of the Plum Blossom Sword Saint who appeared when he killed the Black Mage named Lust.
At that time, he said that his last memory was being defeated by the Heavenly Demon just before his death.
‘So there’s another existence like that.’
“How many of those retainers of the Outer God were there?”
“There were three.”
The one who answered Patrick’s question was Persona, who had been listening quietly by his side.
“What were their characteristics?”
“Well… one used a sword, another used a bizarre, single-edged weapon. And the other one didn’t use a weapon but was bald….”
Persona described the battle situation at that time in as much detail as possible.
After hearing the full explanation, Patrick placed a hand on his forehead and said as if troubled.
“Wudang, the Peng Clan, and Shaolin?”
A sigh escaped him naturally.
If he assumed that those three were at a similar level to the Plum Blossom Sword Saint he had fought before, they would be at least at the State of Harmony.
If there were three such beings….
‘This is going to be a headache.’
Just thinking about it was suffocating.
At that moment, Persona said to Patrick.
“My father fought one-on-one against one of those retainers of the Outer God and was defeated.”
“Who? Sword? Saber? Bare hands?”
“He was a swordsman.”
“So, Wudang.”
In a sense, that was the most troublesome opponent.
The sword of Wudang is about the soft overcoming the hard.
Those who do not understand its principles and know how to counter it will self-destruct by trying to push through with force.
Then the Azure Dragon spoke.
-Arcana was the only friend I made in this world.
“……”
-He was quite a peculiar one among the dragons.
The Azure Dragon spoke, fondly recalling past memories.
Originally, dragons are a long-lived race that lives for over 10,000 years along with great strength.
When one lives for such a long time, one is bound to have various hobbies.
Some devote themselves to art, others strive to satisfy their thirst for knowledge, and among them, there are those who enjoy unique hobbies like cooking or gardening.
And Arcana was a dragon who was crazy about the sword.
[Hey, Azure Dragon. Continue the story you were telling me before.]
-Didn’t you say that name was taken from you? Arcana.
[Reigning Terror is too long. Anyway, tell me more about that place called Murim.]
The reason he became obsessed with the sword was actually due to his friendship with the Azure Dragon.
Out of curiosity, he had been listening about the world the Azure Dragon was from and became greatly interested in the martial world of Murim.
[Hooo…. You accumulate divinity through martial arts and ascend to a divine rank? Is such a thing really possible?]
-I saw it with my own two eyes. That is why we called him the Sword Saint, Lü Dongbin.
[Impressive. A Sword Saint… Hmmm….]
And since when was it?
He became obsessed with the sword and began training.
And then, after hearing about the internal energy heart laws of Murim….
[Accumulating mana in the body through breathing to create an energy organ like a dragon heart…. If I research it well, it might be possible.]
It was a reckless challenge attempted with only the knowledge that such a thing existed, without any basic understanding of energy circulation.
Fortunately, as a dragon with nothing but time, he was able to create a method to accumulate aura in his body through various attempts.
Thus, he became the first in the world to create Aura Blessing, and realizing the limits of his solo research….
[From now on, you will be the disciples of me, Sword Dragon Arcana.]
He took in humans as disciples to research Aura Blessing more diversely.
And that is how the legend of Sword Dragon Arcana, an object of reverence for all swordsmen, came to be spread.
-As the dragons gradually lost their power, he too had to go into seclusion under the Lord’s command. But he never let go of the sword.
“……”
-He was a true martial artist.
The Azure Dragon’s face showed unconcealed pride for his friend.
At that, Persona, who had been listening beside him, said in a determined tone.
“I will definitely avenge my father.”
What was visible on her face was fighting spirit and resolve.
The Azure Dragon looked at Persona with a proud expression and then said to Patrick.
-Although the dragons have declined, they are still beings who harbor divinity.
“……”
-Moreover, this child has inherited the Lord’s seal, so she possesses even stronger divine power. She will probably be of help in the fight against the Outer God.
“……”
At the Azure Dragon’s words, Patrick let out a deep sigh.
What he said was right.
Yes, it was right.
But….
“Hey. Miss, what was your name again?”
“I am Persona, daughter of Arcana and the one who has taken the position of Lord, leading the current dragon clan.”
“Yes. I am Patrick Schneider.”
“It is an honor to meet you.”
“Right. Persona, let me ask you one thing.”
“Please speak, man of prophecy.”
“How long have you been holding a sword?”
“……”
At that, Persona hesitated, fidgeting.
Her father was called the Sword Dragon and was a powerful figure who had reached a high level not only as a dragon but also as a swordsman.
But his daughter, she….
“It has been… two months now.”
She had lived a life that had little to do with the sword.
Her father had never forced the sword on her, and she had no interest in it.
‘Just as I thought.’
Just by looking at the stance she held when she swung the sword a moment ago, he could tell at a glance.
The characteristic clumsiness of a beginner was evident here and there.
“You’ve never been taught by anyone, have you?”
“Well… there was no one to teach me.”
She had just been swinging the sword on her own through self-study.
It was amazing that a complete novice had the strength to swing a heavy two-handed sword, but when did being strong ever make one a master?
‘Her bone structure is good, but….’
Patrick let out a sigh.
“The sword is something that takes time. Even if you start training hard now, miss, I don’t know how long it will take for you to become strong enough to be useful in a battle against the Black Mages.”
“……”
“Wouldn’t it be better to fight as a dragon?”
Patrick made a rational and correct suggestion.
Although the dragons had declined, fighting in their giant true forms would be stronger than clumsy swordplay in a human body.
But….
“I cannot defeat them that way.”
“……”
“With the gods not knowing when they will be revived, our clan’s power has become too weak.”
“……”
“As the Lord who must protect the clan right now, I need power. Like my father.”
“……”
“So I, too….”
“Ah, I get it. I understand the situation, but….”
He understood her wanting to train with the sword to gain another source of power now that her power as a dragon had waned.
In the past, even the elves had trained in aura as a power to replace spirits.
Yes.
He understands.
He does, but….
“If you could get strong in a day or two, who would bother struggling?”
“……”
At Patrick’s words, Persona’s face also turned red.
She knew it too.
But what other choice did she have?
Then the Azure Dragon spoke.
-Patrick Schneider. You must stay here for a while anyway.
“So what?”
-I ask of you. Would you not take this child in and teach her, if only for that time?
“……”
-I am not asking you to make her strong right away. However, if you could give her your teachings and at least create a minimal milestone, I feel I could face my friend.
At the Azure Dragon’s earnest request, Patrick let out a sigh and said.
“Well, if it’s just the basics….”
Thus, Patrick tentatively accepted.
