I Married the Dragon I Killed

The High Elf Elder led Perda and Erika to a prison beneath the World Tree, whose bars were formed from intertwined roots.

Since the elves lived in such a closed society, it was rare for there to be any prisoners, so in practice, they were the only occupants of that place.

“What do you intend to do with us?”

Erika asked the elder.

“What else could we possibly do? That human ended up causing exactly what we feared.”

The elder pointed his chin toward Perda.

Now that he had a pretext, he had abandoned all formality when addressing him.

His attitude was unpleasant.

“You’re going to imprison us without even finding out the truth? Isn’t that practically a declaration of war?”

“The Great Chieftain is in critical condition, Tower Master. Do you understand that we cannot simply stand by and do nothing?”

“…”

The High Elves were the nobility among all elves, and the Great Chieftain was the equivalent of an emperor.

And that emperor had suddenly fallen gravely ill without anyone knowing why.

That was why Erika and Perda had agreed to follow them without resisting.

“Remain here quietly until the Great Chieftain awakens.”

After saying that, the High Elf Elder turned around and left.

They took no further measures.

Even though they had imprisoned two mages, one of them a hero of the expedition that had saved the continent, they did not restrain them in any other way.

It wasn’t because they were treating them with respect.

There was simply no need.

Every time they tried to release mana to draw a magic circle, it was immediately absorbed somewhere.

The roots that formed the prison devoured it as though it were nourishment.

Erika gripped one of the bars.

Deep down, she wanted to break them apart and force her way out.

But she knew doing so would only make the situation worse.

“Haah…”

She let out a long sigh.

Then she glanced sideways at Perda.

He remained seated in silence.

“Haah…”

“…”

“Haaaaah!!”

“…You’re making too much noise.”

“What do you mean, too much noise?! Look at the situation we’re in!”

Erika folded her arms and glared at Perda.

“Now talk. What exactly happened to the Great Chieftain?”

“…”

Erika frowned even more deeply.

“Regent. I don’t know what happened, but the Great Chieftain of the High Elves is dying after being left alone with you. If you want me to defend you, I need to know exactly what happened. Do you understand?”

Perda hesitated over how to answer.

In the end, he decided to reveal as little information as possible.

“The Great Chieftain became interested in the mana I possess and decided to examine it.”

“Your mana?”

“Yes.”

“If it was because of the Regent’s mana…”

Suddenly, something seemed to occur to her.

Her face turned bright red as she asked cautiously.

“Don’t tell me… you nearly made that old woman die from happiness…?”

“…That wasn’t it.”

She really did think like a teenage girl.

Perhaps even she realized how ridiculous that sounded, because she immediately changed the subject.

“It is true that the Regent’s mana was rather strange.”

“You also let out a rather embarrassing scream.”

“I-I only did that because everything happened so suddenly and it startled me! I didn’t mean anything else by it! We’re getting off topic! Can we focus?”

After talking nonstop, she ended up causing a commotion all by herself.

“The Regent’s mana is strange, yes… but that woman would never have been defeated so easily… And if even the World Tree itself started shaking… then everything most likely happened because of her own actions…”

She was right.

Perda remembered the Great Chieftain’s expression.

She had looked at him with a face completely overwhelmed by terror.

‘How is that possible…?’

What exactly had she seen to react like that?

No.

In reality, he could imagine it.

That version of himself consumed by rage and hatred.

The only thing he refused to accept was that the Great Chieftain had seen precisely that image.

‘Did I make a mistake?’

The Great Chieftain had been the one to take the initiative.

But Perda had been the one who provided the cause.

Impatience always drove people to act on impulse.

And that impulse had produced exactly this result.

In a way, the blame also lay with him.

“Are you listening?”

“Yes.”

“Could you answer me already? I want to know exactly what the two of you did in there.”

Erika stared at him with threatening eyes.

“Tower Master. How much do you know about the Demon King?”

“You’re answering a question with another question? I don’t like that.”

“It’s related.”

Although she made it clear she didn’t like the idea, she answered anyway.

“Not much. I only know that he suddenly appeared, became Godwin’s descendant, and was the first to try conquering the world through demons. That’s all.”

“I see.”

“Once we can enter the Demon Lands of the Far East, perhaps we’ll finally be able to investigate him properly. But what does that have to do with any of this?”

Since she had answered honestly, Perda gave her an honest answer as well.

“I can’t answer that question.”

“…Are you joking?”

“It’s for the best for both of us.”

Erika looked at him with obvious dissatisfaction.

She glared at him for several seconds before puffing out her cheeks.

“Ah, seriously…! You’re bringing out the worst in me!”

“…”

“Why does everyone keep doing this to me lately?! I’m the Blue Eye Tower Master! Lord Lorga’s favored daughter! Why do I have to endure this kind of humiliation?!”

“…”

“Damn it! It makes me want to cry!”

“Don’t cry.”

“Why? Because it’ll annoy you?”

“Yes.”

Perda covered his ears.

Seeing that, Erika’s eyes widened.

“Oh, really?! Then I’m going to cry right here until I’ve let it all out!”

“……”

“I’m seriously going to bawl my eyes out! I’m going to end up with tears and snot running all over my face!”

“P-Please don’t do that…”

As Erika continued shouting at the top of her lungs, someone interrupted the conversation.

When they turned their heads, they saw someone standing on the other side of the wooden bars.

It was Lizera.

The sanity Erika had been on the verge of losing barely returned.

“Are you both all right?”

“…Do you honestly think this looks all right?”

Erika replied bluntly with an awkward smile, and Lizera lowered her head.

“I’m terribly sorry. My mother was attacked, and since Sir Perda was the main person involved, it was inevitable that things would turn out this way.”

“Forget that and tell me the situation. How are things over there?”

“First of all, the Great Chieftain is in critical condition, so everyone is deeply worried.”

“I suppose they’re furious with Regent Perda.”

Erika placed particular emphasis on Perda’s name.

Lizera nodded silently.

“But fortunately, the Great Chieftain regained consciousness for a brief moment.”

“Then the misunderstanding must already have been cleared up.”

Erika believed everything was over.

However, Lizera shook her head.

“No. My mother didn’t explain her condition. Instead, she left me a message.”

“What message?”

Lizera’s expression was unusually serious.

In a voice that was barely audible, she said,

“She ordered me to secretly get both of you out of here.”

Erika frowned upon hearing that.

“Wait a moment. Doesn’t that mean we’re supposed to become fugitives?”

“I’m afraid so.”

“You expect to humiliate Lorga’s descendants by making us flee from the elves?”

With a desperate expression, Lizera tried to persuade her.

“Please. She repeatedly insisted that all of this had to be done in the utmost secrecy.”

“I don’t need that favor. I came here to have the High Elf’s journal translated. I’m not leaving empty-handed.”

“The Great Chieftain said you would answer exactly that…”

Lizera slightly opened the bag she was carrying.

Inside was a large stack of papers, completely disorganized.

“She also asked me to give these to you when you left the World Tree.”

“That old woman…”

Erika didn’t like it one bit that the Great Chieftain always acted as though she were one step ahead of everyone else.

“Are you certain this contains what we’re looking for?”

“I haven’t read it, so I don’t know either…”

“What if there’s nothing inside and she tricked us?”

Erika was still completely determined not to do what the Great Chieftain expected of her.

In the end, Perda sided with Lizera.

“This isn’t the time to be making demands. Wouldn’t it be better for us to leave?”

“Isn’t all of this your fault?”

“Yes, it is. But we can obtain what we need and avoid an unnecessary conflict, can’t we?”

Perda believed the Great Chieftain would never have given them such an order without good reason.

Erika, still with her arms crossed, bit her lips and ran a hand through her hair.

“Aaaah! Fine! As long as we can find out everything we need, I’ll trust her!”

“T-Thank you very much! I’ll open the door.”

Lizera inserted a wooden key and unlocked the cell door.

Only after they had stepped outside did Perda remember something and ask her,

“By the way, Secretary Lizera. Aren’t you a High Elf?”

“Yes, I am.”

“Then doesn’t that mean everyone will immediately know what’s happening?”

The High Elves shared a single consciousness.

“The one who imprisoned us was a High Elf Elder, so even if Lizera secretly released us, it should have already been discovered.”

“I am a High Elf, but…”

She scratched her cheek before answering.

“I was born unable to connect my mind with anyone else’s.”

***

The interior of the World Tree had a structure very similar to that of a Magic Tower.

It was only natural.

After all, Magic Towers had been designed using the World Tree as their model.

It was the most perfect structure possible for optimizing every kind of magic.

Highly condensed mana shone with a white light that illuminated the surroundings, while green moss and vines grew across the walls bathed in that glow.

The massive trunks formed stairways and pathways that allowed people to walk through the interior.

The three of them carefully began climbing those stairways.

The waterfall flowing down from the crown of the World Tree was not violent.

On the contrary.

It was strangely tranquil.

“What silence.”

Perda was the one who broke it.

“That’s true.”

Erika replied merely for the sake of replying.

“Normally, no one ever enters this deep area.”

Lizera spoke naturally, as though there were nothing to worry about.

Perda and Erika exchanged a glance.

No matter how they thought about it.

That statement sounded far too suspicious.

“I have a question.”

“Yes!”

“How did you manage to come down here?”

Erika still wasn’t convinced.

“I came down very carefully while sensing every presence around me.”

“Relying solely on your intuition?”

“Yes! Even if I don’t look like it, I’m actually very good at hiding things.”

“…”

Their suspicion became certainty.

Erika stopped slouching in resignation, looked up, and shouted toward the heights.

“Stop hiding and come out already!”

The moment she said those words.

The interior, which had been as silent as a grave until then, suddenly filled with presences.

They were Wood Elves clad in elven armor.

More than a hundred of them appeared in an instant, completely surrounding the three of them and eliminating every blind spot.

Lizera’s eyes widened.

“W-What…? How…?”

“How, you ask? How naive.”

The voice was familiar.

The High Elf Elder emerged from among the Wood Elves.

Deep contempt could be seen in his eyes.

It wasn’t a look one would direct toward someone of the same race.

“Did you really think that no matter how discreet you were, you could deceive the eyes of elves who have protected this World Tree their entire lives?”

Secretly escaping had never been a possibility.

The situation made it impossible not to sigh.

“What are you carrying inside that bag?”

The moment the elder asked, Lizera instinctively hugged the bag tightly against her chest.

Whatever it was.

It was undoubtedly something important.

“As an elder, I order you. Bring that item here immediately.”

“T-This item must be delivered to Regent Perda and Tower Master Erika. Those are the Great Chieftain’s direct orders.”

“The Great Chieftain is in a coma. Not even we have received any message through the shared consciousness. How do you expect me to believe that she spoke only to you?”

“She told me personally.”

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

The High Elf Elder roared.

“The reason we stand above all other elves is because we share a single consciousness! Do you honestly expect me to believe she went out of her way to speak exclusively to someone who can’t even connect her mind to it?!”

Lizera trembled with fear.

Even so, she didn’t stop speaking.

“As you said, I cannot share the collective consciousness with everyone else. But precisely because of that, I can only tell the truth, Elder.”

“I don’t believe you.”

The elder pointed at her, then gestured toward the ground in front of him.

“If you wish to prove you’re telling the truth, bring that item here immediately.”

“You’re overstepping your authority again, Elder.”

This time, it wasn’t Perda who spoke.

It was Erika.

“We’ve already told you over and over that this is none of your concern. The secretary is merely obeying the Great Chieftain’s orders. If you choose to disregard her instructions, how is that any different from showing contempt for tradition and authority?”

“You speak so calmly because you know nothing about our people, Tower Master.”

“…Calmly?”

“Return to your cell immediately. If you go back obediently, I’ll still take that into consideration, leader of Lorga’s descendants.”

Crack!

Perda heard the sound perfectly clearly.

It was as though something hard and resilient had violently snapped inside Erika’s head.

At the same time, an immense amount of highly condensed mana began surging around her.

“Huu…”

What came out of her mouth was,

“He… hehehe…”

A completely deranged laugh.

“These people… and those people… It’s always the same… The moment you try to be polite… they aaaaalways end up treating you like someone they can walk all over.”

Erika ran a hand through her hair as she looked up at the elder.

Her blue eyes, once as clear as a river, had lost every trace of light, resembling the dull eyes of a dead fish.

The corners of her lips twisted into an unnatural smile.

She began muttering just like Echidna Philiaz.

“Yes… What does reason even matter anymore? If there are idiots who keep yanking out your nose hairs while kicking you in the backside… then the only thing left is to crush them completely…”

Erika reached toward her waist.

She pulled out a small bottle of water.

“I’ve been faaaaar too kind to all of you until now… haven’t I?”

Without hesitation, she threw the bottle straight into the World Tree’s waterfall.

Plop!

The tiny sound was swallowed by the roar of the falling water.

But the very next instant.

The sound of the waterfall disappeared.

It was an unbelievable sight.

The descending water became completely motionless, as though time itself had stopped.

The water no longer followed its natural course.

That meant only one thing.

It had been brought under someone’s control.

At that very moment.

Erika was controlling all the water within the World Tree.

Rumble.

A tremendous vibration began rising from the ground.

The tranquil spring started churning violently until five enormous pillars of water shot into the sky.

Boooooom!!!

The five torrents began intertwining with one another as they were gradually molded into shape.

Their upper portions slowly transformed.

As though shedding their skin.

They took the shape of dragon heads.

The five torrents became five Water Dragons.

Erika stepped onto the head of one of them and rose into the air alongside the creatures.

The Water Dragons ascended majestically through the sky.

But unlike their elegant appearance.

Erika’s face was shrouded in a dark shadow.

And beneath that shadow.

There was a terrifying smile.

With a slight wave of her hand, she said,

“Shall we kill them all?”

The torrents roared ferociously as the five Water Dragons charged straight at the elves.