Chapter 98
After her sparring session with Maya, Tristan sat in his office, lost in thought.
A nightmare that he could not even recall kept troubling him.
He tried to summon the memories of it, but his mind was blank.
Tristan had never had a nightmare before.
Those born with dragon blood were usually much healthier than ordinary people.
Why now?
There had to be a reason behind a nightmare.
Tristan summoned a black light in his hand and then returned it.
Like the power Maya wielded with the Pendragon, Tristan’s own power had also grown noticeably.
It wasn’t something that could simply be brushed off as being “because of his dragon lineage.”
Even after defeating the butterfly in the western region, Tristan realized something.
The increase in healing power occurred when Maya sealed the massive monsters causing chaos in each region.
One might think she just pushed her power to the limit to become stronger for sealing monsters…
But what if that wasn’t the whole story?
Tristan stared at the gem Maya had entrusted to him.
The gem that appeared after a monster vanished.
The strange phenomenon where subservient monsters, who would have loved nothing more than for the Demon King to be resurrected and wreak havoc, would obediently give up their lives after causing mischief.
They wanted the human world to suffer and be sullied, yet they did not persist in reigning over it.
They would indulge themselves for a while and then surrender to Maya.
Tristan, of the Beiadene bloodline, looked away.
Why?
Why is it that the Beiadene line leaves so few words behind, unlike the Pendragon who even imbued their sword with a consciousness?
Had they chosen not to leave records?
Or had they been unable to?
The continuing natural disasters and the rare monsters appearing, the gems they left behind—all were connected to the Demon King who had been defeated at the founding of the kingdom.
Demon King.
Maya had awakened, her curse was manifesting, and monsters were shaking the empire.
The resurrection of the Demon King was imminent.
Less than a year remained.
How it would return, by what method—he did not know. But someday, it would come back.
Tristan mulled over the prophecy of the Demon King.
“I will tear apart your bloodlines.
Eventually, you will be forced to kill each other.
Only ruin shall exist at the end of you.”
Only ruin at the end… how chilling a statement.
He had searched the Beiadene archives, but there was no information.
As if someone had erased it.
Who could have dared to intrude into the Beiadene archives?
Even if such a major event had occurred, there should have been records.
…Unless someone with the power to resolve everything existed.
Should I start suspecting those around me?
But the Beiadene household had always been loyal.
Those trusted enough to enter the northern Beiadene castle archives were only Doshen, Robert, and Alec.
Could one of them be a traitor?
These were people preparing for a revolution alongside him. It was hard to suspect those who had always cared for him.
Tristan instinctively rejected that possibility and sought another path.
If it’s not them…
If it were an outsider, that person would have to possess considerable ability.
A magician or…
A monster.
Monsters were generally stupid. But the intelligence of those Tristan and Maya encountered together was gradually increasing.
Even the butterfly’s sudden actions almost turned the western region into a wasteland last time.
I’ll have to observe the next monster we encounter carefully.
It would be natural to begin by suspecting and interrogating those around him, but he did not want to do that.
He did not want his trust in them to be broken.
If even a slight possibility remained that it was the act of another, he wanted to pursue that first.
Some might call Tristan foolish.
Time spent together does not reveal everything about a person.
Yet Tristan wanted to believe.
Until evidence surfaced, he would not suspect anyone.
He would not punish anyone.
That could all be done after the truth was revealed.
He did not want to become like Liserfield.
This time, I’ll focus on the monster we encounter and gather information.
After all, Tristan had plenty to worry about in his life.
Although the time for an adult had increased to half a day, unresolved matters remained: his curse, his relationship with Maya, and the revolution.
He would focus on what lay before him.
Step by step, he would find a path.
For now, let’s start by handling the wedding.
He would not let worry sweep away the happiness of the present.
Tristan stood up from his seat.
Skipping even breakfast, he first went to inspect the ceremony hall.
Yes, perhaps all this worry was just Tristan’s overthinking.
It could simply be that he was so tense preparing for his wedding with Maya.
He was giving everything he had to make the day perfect.
Maya went to see Ophrase with Doshen.
She was already excited to see what kind of dress had been made.
It seemed likely that the dress would perfectly satisfy her desire to look the most beautiful to Tristan.
At the same time, she was worried.
She needed to propose an alternative regarding the condition Ophrase had set when assisting Maya and Seren.
Instead of Ophrase’s dress, it was how Ophrase herself could gain more recognition.
Ophrase could make a dress that represents herself.
Recalling how much she had changed from the past, Maya came to this conclusion.
She did not know if Ophrase would like it, but it was worth bringing up.
Tristan thought it was a good idea too.
Last night, before sleeping, they had lain together, discussing it, and Maya asked Tristan for his thoughts.
He had replied not with an answer, but by asking Maya for her opinion, telling her it was a good idea.
There was no need to rely on his opinion.
Let’s talk about it.
Maya believed that sometimes it was faster to handle things physically rather than mentally—but recently, she had also begun enjoying discussing and collaborating.
She was learning that life was not lived alone.
“Welcome!”
Ophrase greeted Maya from the entrance.
“I suppose I am invisible.”
Doshen glanced at Ophrase with a face that was not displeased.
“You know I wanted to see you even without saying it,” he said.
Ophrase replied to Doshen’s words with playful sarcasm.
“The dress is prepared over here. Would you like to try it on first?”
“Before that, I think it’s better to discuss something first.”
“If it’s a discussion…?”
“Yes. I’ve thought about the condition you set. We need to address it before I try the dress.”
“…From my perspective, that’s welcome.”
Ophrase blinked, surprised that Maya seemed more proactive about the matter than about the dress.
“It’s your dress, yet why does the dress overshadow you?” Maya asked straightforwardly.
Ophrase smiled bitterly, perhaps because she already knew the answer.
“You have talent, but because of status and prestige. And, aside from Seren, your limited social connections contribute as well.”
Maya spoke honestly instead of avoiding the topic.
She knew better than anyone how differently people treated you based on status.
Even though the Pendragon of the past was the same, people’s behavior had changed.
“Status can’t change immediately, but prestige can be earned. I’ll help you.”
Maya took a deep breath and continued.
“I’ll host a banquet in your name.”
A banquet was a useful event in many ways.
It gathered people and allowed various activities.
Then, how about letting the first showing of Ophrase’s new dress be at a banquet?
A slightly heavier event than a tea party, but lighter than an official schedule.
A place that bears Ophrase’s name.
Ophrase had always poured her heart into each dress, accepting only a few guests at a time.
She did her utmost to incorporate their requests and satisfy them.
Her dresses were undoubtedly beautiful, but the dresses sold to nobles were all different.
In other words, they lacked individuality.
They changed according to the wishes and needs of the clients.
Therefore, the nobles focused more on the dress than Ophrase herself.
They believed the dress became perfect because it reflected their preferences.
But Maya would wear the dress according to Ophrase’s design, and it fit her perfectly.
Tight schedules, almost no input from Maya—yet Ophrase handled it with composure.
Like someone who had thought about it for a long time.
Seeing Ophrase, Maya saw herself reflected.
Becoming a Swordmaster overnight was impossible.
The countless days spent training to awaken had built her current skill and inner strength.
Ophrase had surely gone through such solitary efforts too.
That effort had become part of her, giving her the skill to create a dress that fit Maya perfectly even in sudden circumstances.
Maya trusted the Ophrase she had seen.
“Show people who you are.”
It was time for Ophrase to soar.
