Chapter 006 – The World Mistakes Me for Being Terminally Ill
Anyway, he also explained that while it carried no magical curse or blessing, it was a ring made from the horn of the demonic dragon, Kaiseus.
“So dragon bone never melts, was it?”
I narrowed my eyes coldly.
For now, even if I coughed up blood, my body showed no abnormalities—but you never know.
If it came down to it…
“Grind it down so finely that even the particles can’t be seen, scatter it into the sea, and then just say it got lost.”
If the family heirloom disappeared, the Grand Duke’s house would be thrown into chaos—but it couldn’t be helped.
I just had to become someone too important for them to oppress, even with such a fatal flaw.
‘In the end, it’s back to building favor again.’
Having reached that conclusion, I groaned and pressed the damp cloth—of unknown origin—against my face.
“…?”
Tremble.
The ring shook.
No, really—the ring shook.
The ring in my hand was trembling.
‘What is this?’
Staring at it in disbelief, the ring, which had been quivering, suddenly stopped as if playing innocent.
I narrowed my eyes.
“Am I that weak? I must be seeing things.”
Then, gracefully, I rose and walked toward the display case.
Inside were my lovely collection pieces I had brought from the Seton estate.
Among them, I picked up a crystal hand hammer that sparkled like fine glasswork.
“Do you know what I hate most in this world?”
Humming to myself, I forcibly removed the ring that, for some reason, didn’t want to leave my finger and fixed it beneath the hammer.
“Ghosts. You can’t assign them any value.”
And the moment I raised the crystal hammer high—
[Waaah!]
Suddenly, the ring rolled away on its own, slipped out of my grasp—
—and popped! transformed into something else.
A plump, pitch-black body. Tiny red eyes. A pair of small fluttering wings on its back and a stubby tail.
Two sharp horns sprouted from its head.
‘…No, one and a half?’
The left horn, so mystical it looked almost transparent, was cleanly cut off halfway.
I stared at it with a dumbfounded expression.
“A lizard?”
[I-I am not such a lowly creature!]
“Oh? It talks?”
[Gasp…!]
The lizard clamped its mouth shut with its pink jelly-like paws.
I looked down at the utterly ridiculous ring impostor with a crooked smile.
“As expected, just a hallucination. Better get rid of it.”
As I approached, the lizard flapped its wings frantically as if trying to escape.
But compared to its plump body, the tiny wings were completely useless.
It barely lifted itself about three centimeters into the air before dropping back down.
Without hesitation, I grabbed it by the scruff of its neck and carried it toward the window.
I flung it open wide.
[W-Wait a sec!]
“Got anything to say, you ring-impersonating lizard?”
[I said I’m not a lizard!]
“Then what are you?”
At that, the lizard lifted its tiny face proudly and shouted:
[I am Lord Kaiseus!]
…Kaiseus… Kaiseus… Kaiseus…
Its words echoed.
“Oh, really?”
Smiling brightly, I held the lizard out the window.
Whoooo—
A fierce wind surged upward. Even in spring, the northern winds were merciless.
“Then goodbye, you impersonating fraud of a lizard.”
The once-proud lizard’s tiny wings drooped.
[…Spare me, human.]
“So you’re really the demonic dragon Kaiseus?”
Sitting cross-legged on the bed, I stared at the tiny black lizard in front of me.
It was barely a span and a half in size—two spans if you counted the horns!—so I had no choice but to place it on the table to meet my eye level.
‘No matter how I look at it, this is suspicious.’
My instincts were telling me this lizard was connected to my coughing up blood.
So I gave it a light scare.
The lizard—no, Kaiseus—quickly nodded.
[To be precise, I’m Kaiseus the Second. I inherited the name.]
“I don’t understand a single word you’re saying.”
[As expected, humans are du—]
“You’d better choose your words carefully, flightless lizard.”
Kaiseus glared at me like I was some villain, his body trembling.
[Wicked human…]
“If you’re really a dragon, why can’t you fly?”
[That’s because I’m not fully grown yet. Once I mature, you won’t even be able to look up at me!]
Kaiseus puffed up proudly.
“And you’re proud of that?”
Though baffled, I found myself genuinely curious.
“Then how old are you now?”
[One hundred!]
Watching Kaiseus spread his tiny front paws proudly, a possibility suddenly came to mind.
‘He inherited the name? And he’s only a hundred?’
With a hint of suspicion, I asked:
“The dragon who made a contract with the Grand Duke of Lunein a hundred years ago—that was you?”
[That’s right.]
“And the dragon who started the Thousand-Year War?”
[That was my predecessor. Kaiseus the First.]
My mind raced.
I stared intently at Kaiseus’s severed horn.
Noticing my gaze, Kaiseus rubbed it with his jelly-like paw.
[Yes, that horn was used to make the ring.]
“…Why? You didn’t continue the war like your predecessor.”
Because he’s young? Saving his strength?
I looked at Kaiseus suspiciously.
Despite how casually we sat facing each other, he was supposedly a demonic dragon—the king of monsters who, according to legend, brought bloodshed and slaughter.
At my question, Kaiseus pouted.
[I’m a pacifist.]
…What?
[Just because I inherited the name doesn’t mean I’m the same as my predecessor! It’s offensive.]
A pacifist demonic dragon.
I was speechless.
“…Are you vegetarian too, by any chance?”
[How did you know?]
Boasting arrogantly, Kaiseus added that his favorite food was red, round fruit, and that he would graciously accept offerings.
I quietly raised my hand.
Smack!
[Waaah! Why’d you hit me?!]
“Because nothing about your mouth sounds peaceful.”
After flicking his forehead, Kaiseus teared up slightly, clutching his head with his short arms, looking utterly wronged.
How could this possibly be a demonic dragon?
Clicking my tongue, I organized the information.
“So you’re Kaiseus the Second, a pacifist demonic dragon, who’s been sneakily disguised as a ring?”
[‘Sneakily’?!]
“It is sneaky. If you’re a pacifist, why disguise yourself as a ring?”
[Th-That’s… that was our pact a hundred years ago.]
“A pact?”
Kaiseus stared straight at me.
[‘Eternal rest upon this land.’]
The voice that came from him was no longer petulant—it was solemn, as if it resonated with the soul.
[I made a promise a hundred years ago with the Grand Duke of Lunein. In exchange for helping me inherit this name, I would bring peace to this land.]
It was the exact same voice that had urged me to change the future—and pay the price.
“…You.”
[Hmph, now you understand how grea—]
“How dare something so tiny act all grown-up?”
Smiling sweetly, I rubbed his smooth head roughly.
Kaiseus’s face crumpled miserably.
It was the first time I’d learned that dragons could make expressions like that.
“Obviously, no one would believe you if you showed up like this, so you hid as a ring. Not a bad strategy. I wouldn’t have believed it either.”
[Ugh…!]
“So why me, of all people?”
[… ]
“What’s the reason?”
Why did he tell me about the future?
At my question, Kaiseus pressed his lips together before finally answering with a sigh.
[Because ‘that person’ wanted it.]
“That person? Who is that?”
[I can’t tell you.]
“What?”
[I said I can’t.]
True to being a hundred-year-old baby dragon, Kaiseus shut his mouth stubbornly.
I was dumbfounded, but seeing no sign that the obstinate baby lizard would speak, I let it go.
[I said I’m not a lizard!]
“Alright, alright. Kid. Happy now?”
[It’s Kaiseus!]
“Yeah, Kaiseus, kid. By the way… can you read my thoughts?”
[…It can’t be helped. The owner of the ring can hear them.]
A Bluetooth function too. Impressive.
“But, kid.”
[… ]
“Are you sulking?”
[…What!]
“What did you mean by ‘pay the price’?”
Even if I learned about the future, coughing up blood out of nowhere was a bit much.
At my question, Kaiseus—still sounding sulky—finally answered.
