Chapter 2
One week.
A week had already passed since I was possessed into this body.
“Eee—ugh….”
Having barely succeeded in binding my soul to the flesh and finally able to move properly, I stared down at my tiny little hands and let out a long sigh.
How could the greatest dragon — the catastrophe they once called the strongest dragon — end up possessing a child’s body like this?!
What in the world had happened? No matter how I racked my brain, there was no answer.
‘I should go see the sage.’
I remembered the great sage who had once foolishly stormed into my lair over fifty years ago, got beaten and driven off. If I could find him, maybe he’d have some answers.
‘But not in this body.’
I could barely stand, let alone travel.
‘I need to get bigger first.’
With that in mind I turned toward the mirror.
Reflected in it was a child with waist-length blonde hair and pale green eyes that glittered.
It was me.
“You look exactly like that Hero brat. Damn.”
From three hundred meters away you could tell she was the Hero’s daughter — the resemblance to the Hero was uncanny. Until I got used to it, every time I looked in a mirror I felt like I’d explode with anger.
‘But…’
There was at least one small relief. Because the face is so identical, no one would suspect the soul had changed.
‘The Hero didn’t know either.’
No — not exactly didn’t know…
‘He just didn’t seem interested in this body.’
Even the day I came back to life,
―You aren’t dead, huh.
he left the funeral hall after saying that one cold sentence.
After that the Hero didn’t look for me. Didn’t he care that a body had come back to life? It was strange.
‘Don’t humans supposedly worship family above all else?’
The idea of “human family” I knew and the Hero’s behavior were completely different. He treated his own daughter like she was worse than a stranger.
“Well, that’s not the point.”
What mattered most to me now was revenge on the Hero.
“How should I do it…?”
I worried, but there wasn’t much time.
I am the world’s catastrophe, the great Black Dragon — and now, the strongest Swordmaster in history, the youngest daughter of the Hero family.
Nothing can stand in my way.
So,
“When I become head of this house, I will wipe out this family!”
That’s what I’ll say when I seize the head’s seat. “Actually, I’m the very Black Dragon you sealed!” I’ll shout.
How will the Hero react? Won’t that cold-hearted Hero fall into disbelief, horrified?
“Aahhh!”
Just the thought of it makes me giddy!
Die, Hero!
I will overthrow you, Hero!
“For now, let’s at least examine this body.”
When I was a dragon, I had imprinted my soul with magic. That way, even in polymorphed form I could still use spells easily.
So I hadn’t worried much after entering this body — magic was imprinted in the soul anyway.
Yet strangely, from a week ago until now I couldn’t cast proper magic.
It felt as if my power was blocked by some massive dam.
If I scanned myself, maybe I’d find an answer.
I assumed the lotus posture and slowly closed my eyes.
Flash!
[ DAPHNE AKION ]
It seemed this body’s name was Daphne.
I read the rest that unfolded.
[ DAPHNE AKION ]
HP: 10 Charm: 300
Strength: 1 Mana: 0
Temperament: [scoundrel][ruffian][impish][brash]
“…….”
Is this really the temperament of a mere five-year-old? It’s like they bundled every bad trait together.
No — more importantly, what’s with these stats. HP, strength — what is this? Am I even alive?
And on top of that,
“…Mana is zero?”
This is ridiculous.
“You said I’m the youngest daughter of the Hero family, didn’t you?”
And yet it’s such a mess.
This can’t be right.
‘Could it be…’
I suddenly remembered that when I opened my eyes in this body, I had been in the funeral hall.
I remembered the maids saying “poor thing” when they looked at me. At the same time…
gurgle!
My chest itched, and then coughing started bubbling up like retching.
Hack! Hack!
Dark red blood began to drip.
Blood? BLOOD!?
I stared dumbfounded at the ruined clothes, unable to believe it. Still the coughing wouldn’t stop.
“Eek!”
“Milady!”
At that moment the servants who had entered the room shouted and rushed over.
“Call the physician! Quickly!”
One of them grabbed me tightly.
“Milady, no! You mustn’t cough — it will strain your lungs more.”
I would not keep doing this, human.
But what could I do about the coughing?
“Gah! Hack!”
“No, milady!”
I don’t want to either!
Right then, unsure why this body was like this, barely holding on to my fading consciousness, I overheard the humans talking.
“As expected… no matter if Milady came back to life, that illness clearly won’t heal.”
“What a pity… poor Milady….”
That illness?
“This is strange.”
“They say she’s so beautiful….”
Me?
“That she’s terminal….”
“…….”
Human.
What did you just say?
Terminal?!
I am the great calamity that once dominated the continent — the Black Dragon.
And this body I’ve possessed is the youngest daughter of the greatest Swordmaster, the Hero’s youngest daughter.
Combining the magic I honed for hundreds of years with this body’s lineage, I expected to become far stronger than when I was a calamity — perhaps transcendently powerful enough to touch the heavens.
I swore I’d become transcendent, bring down this damn Hero family, and trample every nasty bastard who slandered me. That was my plan.
But…
“Terminal? What do you mean by that?!”
I wailed in outrage and flopped around on the bed.
[ DAPHNE AKION ]
HP: 10 Charm: 300
Strength: 1 Mana: 0
Temperament: [scoundrel][ruffian][impish][brash]
It seemed this is what the scan spat out for a terminal body.
Trash stamina, trash strength, trash mana, and charm maxed out — this blasted body! And the temperament is nasty too!
I felt a stiffness at the base of my neck and tilted my head back. They still looked at me with concern.
Anne and Anna — twins, the household’s attendants assigned to this body.
Light-brown hair, brown eyes, oval faces, and unremarkable features — ordinary looks you could find anywhere. The odd thing was they were identical.
The one with smooth skin was Anne.
The one with a mole beneath her lip was Anna.
It was a stretch to tell them apart by that one mole alone, but since they were always together serving me, I probably didn’t need to bother.
They were the only humans in this mansion standing beside me, so perhaps they could be trusted.
“Hey.”
I addressed Anne and Anna.
“What sort of illness do I have?”
I didn’t yet know the diagnosis. I’d only just regained consciousness after coughing up blood and collapsing.
When I asked, Anne and Anna looked flustered.
“Why won’t you speak?”
“W-well…”
“Say it quickly! What illness is it?”
I shouted again and the two hesitated, then exchanged glances and spoke cautiously.
“M-Milady… you used to hate even mentioning the name of your illness…”
“That’s right. If we say it, you’ll throw a fit again, right? We won’t take that twice.”
Anne shrugged with tension while Anna snorted and looked away — their personalities were clearly different.
Whatever it was, the original Daphne must have tormented them a lot. No wonder they were afraid I’d get angry the moment I knew.
I shook my head.
“It’s fine now. There’s nothing left for you to worry about, so tell me. What is my illness?”
“Well…”
Anna hesitated, then spoke slowly.
“Black-Butterfly Disease.”
“Black-Butterfly?”
I folded my arms, raised my chin, and closed my eyes. I recalled the book I’d ripped from the wizards when I destroyed the western magic tower — the Encyclopedia of the World’s Diseases.
Black-Butterfly Disease
The cause of onset is ambiguous. The most likely theory is a curse of black magic. Patients develop butterfly-shaped markings on their bodies; when all four wings turn black, it results in death. There is currently no cure.
‘Damn it.’
A disease with no cure. I gripped my forehead, pissed off.
“Does my body have markings?”
At my question, Anne glanced at Anna, then pointed to the center of my chest.
They lifted my clothing slightly to show my sternum. There, half of a butterfly wing was blackened.
“Hmm.”
I frowned.
“They say when all four wings are blackened you die — so why did I die early?”
“D-die…?” Anne’s face went pale. I shrugged.
“Tell me. Why did I die?”
Anne and Anna tilted their heads at once. They rolled their eyes as if recalling the past.
“I think something happened back then…”
“I don’t remember clearly. I only recall that Milady’s condition worsened suddenly.”
They didn’t remember? And the body’s condition suddenly worsened?
Something was off.
‘Who killed this body?’
When I came into this body it had been definitely dead.
If someone killed this body and then erased the memories of those around it…
‘A dark wizard.’
The bastards who practice dark magic were likely involved.
‘So this body must have been a target for dark mages.’
A curse, and then an assassination.
What a perfect little gift set.
“Has the outside world learned I’ve returned?”
“N-no. I don’t think anyone else knows.”
“Did you purposely keep it secret?”
Anne inhaled sharply and glanced about nervously. Anna, who had been acting calm, answered.
“She ordered us to keep quiet for now, in case you die again.”
“Who gave the order?”
“Our lord.”
“Filthy bastard.”
I ground my teeth and made a fist.
It was a relief in one sense — the Hero hadn’t announced the body’s survival, so there’d be no assassination attempts for now.
But the Hero’s motive smacked of something shady. Not telling anyone because you don’t know whether she’ll die soon? I wanted to slap that mouth of his.
I must get stronger.
Stronger, and then I’d beat them all.
I took a deep breath.
“Anyway, fine. Now I know—time to find a cure.”
I clenched my fingers into a fist.
“I will survive.”
To get revenge on the Hero,
to reclaim the name of the great Black Dragon Selus!
“I will find a way to live somehow!”
This was not an empty cry.
Because I knew a way to break the curse of Black-Butterfly Disease.
