Chapter 52 - Even So

"What I would like to speak about, taking advantage of this opportunity today, is my future companion, Valdrova."

Among them, those with less courage wore expressions as if they were about to stop breathing.

Seeing such expressions instead gave him confidence.

"The edge of the eastern region, a land where all creation could originally roam, was devastated by the Black Dragon, Godwin, and became a land of death where monsters are endlessly spawned."

Ferda infused power into his words with that confidence.

"The great Red Dragon, Valdrova, has served by fighting the monsters of the east for 150 years without any compensation. However, what is the epithet attached to my companion?"

A name that made everyone tremble in fear.

A name that became despised as that fear faded.

A name that was mocked.

"A tyrant, an Evil Dragon. Monsters are constantly swarming from the distant Land of Demons. They strip away her scales and tear at her flesh. Those claws are aimed at your homes and families. Despite such dedication, she wished for nothing. Even in tearful pain, she maintained her silence and fought steadfastly. We have received her grace. Even beasts return a favor when they receive grace. That is why I have opened my mouth here today to clear her false charges."

Ferda's gaze read his surroundings.

Many people had gathered, but their faces were fixed into certain types.

Those who were uninterested, those who were interested, and those who were calculating how to use this to their advantage.

However, their eyes were always directed at one place.

The dragon spawns occupying the front seats.

They were the masters of mystery, the Aspects, and the minions of immortals.

"Did you say you are Regent Ferda Valdrova?"

Someone among them opened their mouth.

Was it pushback from the Silver Dragon spawns?

Contrary to that thought, it was the voice of an elegant woman.

Blue hair and rounded horns.

'Was it Erica Iorga?'

It was Erica Iorga, the leader of the Iorga spawns.

Bright blue hair and eyes, a sharp jawline, and a strong impression.

She was so beautiful that one would believe it if she were called a Princess of the Empire rather than the leader of the spawns.

She stood up from her seat and greeted him with an elegant motion.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Regent Ferda. I am the representative of Iorga, the master of the Blue Eye Tower, Erica Iorga."

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

"I am not inclined to start our first meeting with bitter words, but given the nature of the proposal, I will not beat around the bush either."

Erica's eyes took Ferda in.

Sharp pupils that did not suit the clear sky-blue color were aimed at Ferda.

"To speak directly, that proposal is one where the conclusion will simply be 'no'."

The conviction embedded deep within her eyes was directed at Ferda.

It was not good.

Because those eyes were drawing everyone in the Grand Council to her side.

"150 years ago, when the Dragon-Demon War broke out, Grand Duchess Valdrova pierced the heart of Godwin, who had forced us into a 12-year struggle, and became a war hero."

A soft and rational tone.

However, Ferda did not take those words at face value.

"But that was not the end. Valdrova lost control of her power and went on a rampage. Many people, many races, and many lives died. Do you know how many that number was?"

Erica asked Ferda while simultaneously adding to her words.

"As you are to become Valdrova's Consort, and as you have thrown out this proposal, I believe you have done plenty of research."

It was a part he had to answer.

Saying he didn't know would only lead him into a trap of his own making.

Ferda spoke the truth.

"It is... half the casualties that occurred during the Dragon-Demon War caused by Godwin."

Half the number had died in just half a day.

This was the greatest tragedy recorded in all history books.

"Yes, half. And that is the result of 12 years of damage occurring in just half a day. And..."

Erica slightly turned her head and drew everyone's gaze somewhere else.

It was Goz Silverwind.

"Even Silverwind, the head of the Silver Dragons, passed away because of it."

Goz Silverwind said nothing.

No, he could not say anything.

He was a man with a highly hot-tempered disposition who favored his fists over words.

He seemed to be keeping his lips tightly sealed, unable to handle whatever curses he might pour out if he opened his mouth.

However, the proposer, Ferda, showed no signs of being intimidated.

If he was going to be intimidated by this much, he wouldn't have spoken up in the first place.

"It is a different case from Godwin. At that time, it was an all-out war where all the forces of Serdes were surrounding Godwin, and many soldiers and beasts were gathered together. If one were to rampage in the midst of that, becoming easy prey is inevitable."

"What is important is that she rampaged in that moment and created casualties. Regardless, she killed half the number of what the Evil Dragon Godwin killed in just half a day."

"She killed Godwin, who had terribly tormented the Serdes Continent for 12 years."

"And she murdered Silverwind. The brave warrior and paramount leader who cared for others more than anyone else."

Valdrova, who had driven both the worst Evil Dragon and the greatest Guardian Dragon to their deaths in a single day.

With those two events occurring simultaneously, it was a situation where Valdrova's standing had no choice but to be left floating in a precarious state.

However, Ferda had evidence.

"That rampage was not by Valdrova's will, nor was it composed of the essence possessed by the Aspect of Power."

"If it is not her essence, what is it?"

"It was merely an incident caused by being polluted by the chaos dwelling in the heart of the Evil Dragon, Godwin."

Ferda had shared many conversations with Mori in order to bring up this story.

"Chaos dwelled within Godwin's heart. The one who came into the closest contact with that chaos was Valdrova. Since she directly destroyed the source dwelling in his heart, she would have been affected by it whether she liked it or not."

Erica's eyes grew sharp.

"Certainly, the one closest to Godwin was Valdrova. But you are mistaken about one thing."

Erica took control of the atmosphere once more.

"Valdrova was not the only one fighting there. Everyone fought desperately. There are far more who kept their distance from Godwin and suffered wounds."

Ferda knew this as well. Through cross-referencing the records, he knew the fact that Valdrova had taken relatively less damage.

"If what the Regent says is true, then every dragon present should have been affected. Including Iorga, who suffered deep wounds. But he is still going strong."

Erica turned her gaze.

It was the old man sitting in the seat next to her.

"Are you in good health, Lord Odograsado?"

The old man chuckled and answered.

"Lord Odograsado is one cloaked in a radiant golden faith. There is no way he would fall for Godwin's shallow tricks, is there?"

At the firm denial, Erica raised her head.

"Look. If what you said was true, many should have been eroded and polluted during the Dragon-Demon War."

"..."

"The chaos seeped in because she destroyed the heart? Of course, that could be the case. But look at her now. Unlike the others who overcame their wounds and stood back up, what is Valdrova doing?"

Erica loaded her voice with emotion.

"She does not want to protect anything. She is like a beast that has tasted blood. As if the destructive nature she awakened cannot be reversed. The only things that can suppress that nature are the monsters spilling out from the Land of Demons, and the reason she chose that is because it leaves the least repercussions. Thus, while remaining close to the Land of Demons, does she not also lack the will to eliminate the Land of Demons entirely?"

Ferda began to see Erica differently.

She was a wall.

Not just any wall, either.

The wall in the north.

The massive wall established to block the frost giants and demons coming from beyond the land of ice.

That is called the Frost Wall.

Ferda had also seen that wall before.

For the things beyond the wall, neither mercy nor tolerance existed.

Erica's arguments were like that wall.

Giving not an inch of leeway, the only things bestowed upon those who approached were zero tolerance and ruthlessness.

'Why.'

Ferda was curious.

'Why is she so anxious to kill her?'

He could not understand this struggle to thoroughly ostracize Valdrova.

If Goz Silverwind had been furious, he would have undoubtedly understood.

Yet, the completely unrelated Iorga side was acting desperately, as if determined not to leave even room for reconsideration.

Ferda read the atmosphere.

His eyes inadvertently swept over the entire Grand Council.

The nobles were agreeing with her sentiments.

Alexander, who had acted as if he were on his side just a moment ago, was holding his breath and assessing the situation.

He was likely making political calculations as to whether there might be any profit in this.

'How detestable.'

In Ferda's eyes, everyone was anxious to kill her and strip her bare.

'This was to be expected.'

Even if he didn't know what politics was, he knew what humans were.

The moment someone receives attention and gets attacked, everyone joins forces to tear them down.

If Ferda did not have the name Valdrova, they would have prowled around one by one to pick him apart.

Ferda had always kept this in mind.

'Even so...'

His insides boiled over.

The more they boiled over, the more Ferda's face contorted coldly.

He had abandoned the thought of being able to persuade them from the very beginning.

Even so, it was not easy.

To think he had to remain still while facing this situation head-on.

Ferda felt a turbulent agitation boiling up from his heart.

The anger he had discarded and put to rest was mocking him.

And so he asked.

'Valdrova. My heart...'

Do you truly have to go this far,

Even after accepting all these frame-ups and insults,

To steadfastly love and protect

That which you wish to love?

Then, his turbulent heart surprisingly began to calm down.

The mockery of his anger stopped.

So delicate it felt as if it would snap,

As soft as a cotyledon sprouting through the moist ground at dawn,

Yet melting his frozen heart,

And engraving itself deep within his chest,

That heart,

Answered Ferda's question.

Even so,

"In that case."

Proclaiming that she loved everyone.

"I will prove it to you."

At Ferda's words, Erica asked.

"You will prove it, you say; what exactly do you mean?"

"That her taking the far east as her base is not merely using it as some bathroom to relieve her destructive instincts."

Standing on the podium, Ferda shouted more clearly than ever before.

"As the proxy of the far east, as the Regent of the Valdrova Grand Duchy's territory, and as Valdrova's fiancé, I shall declare this taking advantage of this opportunity."

In that case, what Ferda had to do was incredibly simple.

He simply had to help unfurl her steadfast wings.

Raising his head confidently, he drove each syllable loudly and clearly into their ears.

"I will purify and reclaim this land defiled by the father of demons and source of chaos, the sinister dragon Godwin."

It was a declaration to conquer the Land of Demons.

At Ferda's unprecedented declaration, everyone attending the Grand Council began to stir.

"He's going to conquer the Land of Demons?"

"You mean the land that was impossible even for the immortal Aspects...?"

Everyone was surprised and had a negative reaction.

It was inevitable.

After the Dragon-Demon War, when the Land of Demons was created, there were many who had tried to conquer it.

However, all those who had stepped foot in there dreaming of conquest had failed.

For a staggering 100 years, countless people had attempted it only to be thwarted, leaving that land abandoned,

"What Valdrova, the great Aspect of Power and Fire, desires is the eradication of the monsters that appear on this land. The primary objective and ultimate end of eradicating those monsters is conquering the Land of Demons."

And now a young Regent was ambitiously challenging it.

"As much as she wishes for the peace of this continent, I too will lend my strength and act so that everyone can understand that 'Evil Dragon' is a false charge."

Ferda's ambitious remark greatly shook the Grand Council.

Ferda was the Grand Duchess's proxy who was attending the council for the first time today.

At 18 years old, young and inexperienced, there was ample reason to scold him for being incredibly arrogant.

Wherever one went, experience and age were important factors that constantly caught the eye.

However, that was not the case for Ferda.

They outwardly assumed that Ferda was acting this way because he had the prestige of Valdrova backing him.

However, deeper within their subconscious, it was different.

A hope was hidden there that perhaps that young man might actually pull it off.

"This proposal is..."

Blancaros's voice quietly resonated through the meeting hall.

At the same time, everyone's voices faded away.

Even the dragon spawns were surprised to hear his voice.

"Let us leave the discussion at that, Regent."

Blancaros had directly opened his mouth to make a request to Ferda.

Ferda had no choice but to accept that request.

The fact that Blancaros, who always put forward proxies to conduct everything, spoke directly carried an extraordinary weight.

"Thank you for granting me this opportunity."

Ferda decided to be satisfied with just this for now.

With this, his debut ceremony was over.

Ferda returned to his seat, and Blancaros's Mouth proceeded.

"We will move on to the next agenda."

After that, trivial matters began to be discussed.

To Ferda, they were nothing but trivial stories, and he did not listen carefully.

'Erica Iorga.'

Her name was echoing in his head.

Ferda's habit as a mage of revenge was subconsciously carving that name deep inside his bones.

'It is a useless endeavor.'

Ferda tried to ignore his old habit.

It was then.

-Regent Ferda, can you hear me?

Speak of the devil?

Erica's voice rang in Ferda's ears.

She was using telepathy magic.

-I have heard your opinion well, noble sir.

At her voice, Ferda carefully drew up magic power to his finger.

After condensing it to a point where it wouldn't be a threat, he lightly brought it to his head.

-I, Erica Iorga, am receiving your opinion positively, and also—.

Click—.

The ringing in his head stopped as if a wire had been cut.

Ferda had completely severed the telepathy connection she had established.

Erica's body flinched at the sudden disconnection.

She slightly turned her head and threw her gaze toward Ferda.

A look in her eyes that seemed to ask what on earth he was doing.

Ferda stared back quietly and answered.

'Piss off.'

She fired off telepathy once more.

-Hold on, Regent Ferda. I know full well you are in an emotional state. Do not block me and just hear me out—.

Whenever she did, Ferda would simply block her again.

-No, listen to—.

Whenever the telepathy flew in, he would block it again.

Like that, for a full thirty minutes until the meeting ended, they fought a battle of sending messages and blocking them.