Chapter 157: The Primordial Four 2

"She... died long ago?"

The woman seemed unable to believe what she heard, but it lasted only a few moments before her expression softened.

For a moment, she said nothing, as if recalling the person who had just been mentioned.

"I see... So Clyne is dead," With a small sigh, she looked at Garph. "What a pity, she was kind-hearted unlike you, you know. She was also very talented, I liked that girl."

Garph, who had lived long enough, knew Clyne well, so when he heard what the woman in front of him said, he understood it far better than he expected.

"Yes... Even at her last moment, she was still extraordinary."

"That’s good to hear."

The woman nodded her head, fell silent for a bit, then her lips pressed together as her expression became unreadable.

"Wait! We’re not done yet! You damn lizard are deliberately trying to stall by changing the subject!"

"Eh!?"

’B-but wasn’t it you who brought up that topic yourself!?’

Garph wanted to say it out loud, but he realized he might die if he said it right now.

So, he swallowed his saliva and drowned every dangerous sentence that had almost slipped out.

Forcing a smile onto his face.

"Forgive me, Milady."

"Hmph. You should be more self-aware."

"....."

Garph didn’t know how to react.

He simply stayed silent, while the woman opened her lips once more.

"Alright, let me ask, will you kill my Master?"

"No."

The answer came out so quickly that Garph himself needed no time to consider it.

At first, yes, but after learning that the human had a connection to a Primordial Dragon, how could Garph even think of killing him?

Not once, not in the slightest, because even after living for an unknown length of time, the fear of death remained.

Of course, that wasn’t the only reason.

’Since Milady herself respects him so much, this human’s identity can’t possibly be as simple as what I see.’

Garph could have misunderstood something, and that was an unforgivable kind of mistake for a dragon who claimed to be wise.

"So, what will you do?"

Hearing that, Garph hesitated, then opened his lips, closed them again, and after a few moments, he spoke.

"...I will do whatever you wish, Milady."

As if touching exactly the right spot, the woman finally showed a satisfied smile. A satisfied smile, yet enough to leave anyone spellbound just by seeing it.

Even Garph himself couldn’t help feeling his heart flutter. He decided to look at the ground instead of at the woman herself.

"Excellent! Then, you must help Master, okay? And trust me, if you help him, he’ll help you too. This is the most correct choice you’ll make in your entire life, even until the end of your life."

Garph still found it hard to grasp just how extraordinary that human was, that even a Primordial Dragon like that woman would call him Master.

That curiosity was huge, but it also reminded him that Garph had just come close to disaster.

He lowered his head deeper, about to answer, but once again his words were cut off.

"Alright, I think you can go."

"...! W-wait! Milady, may I ask one thing?"

The woman tilted her head. "Sorry, could you say it quickly?"

Garph could feel it, how his awareness of this place was slowly fading.

That made him bite his lip, and he spoke right away.

"Will you... Will you return? We... need you very much... Please..."

Once that sentence fell, Garph only saw the woman’s silent expression, seeming to find it hard to answer.

Unlike before, this time the woman didn’t respond with insults right away.

As his consciousness grew fainter, darkness soon took over. His chest pounded with anticipation.

Would the Primordial Dragon return?

If so, could she set this chaotic Dragon world right again?

Restore the long-extinct pride of this Dragon world, and stop...

Garph’s thoughts broke off, darkness now took over, and in that darkness, the woman’s faint voice rang out.

"...Maybe I’ll return, but not anytime soon."

That was enough.

Garph felt satisfied with just that answer. Though uncertain, at least it didn’t mean it was impossible.

Afterward, Garph’s whole body followed the others, frozen in silence, unmoving or doing anything, leaving the woman there.

And she was not alone at all.

The woman shifted her attention from Garph, then looked at the small figure still in Julian’s arms.

"Hey, when are you going to wake up!? Why do you keep sleeping! Hey! Hey! Hey! Wakeee uuup!!!"

She shouted at the figure sleeping soundly in Julian’s arms. Namely, Felicya herself, still as listless as ever.

The girl opened her eyes lazily, rubbed them with her hand and looked at the Primordial Dragon in front of her flatly.

"....."

"Say something!"

"....."

"Ugh... Really... You haven’t changed at all."

The Primordial Dragon sighed, wiped her face, massaged her own temples and then looked at Felicya, who was about to go back to sleep, in a panic.

"E-eh!? Wait! Don’t go to sleep yet! You damn goat! Listen to me!"

Seeing Felicya’s complete indifference made the Primordial Dragon more irritated but also panicked.

As a result, she didn’t hold back and spoke right away:

"You! Haven’t you ever thought about regaining your true self soon!? Ah, fine, there are indeed very bad memories, but the situation will be far worse if you don’t remember who you really are, right!?"

"...."

"Ugh...! You lazy thing! Listen to me! If you don’t find your true self soon, you won’t be able to be carried by Master anymore, you might even end up alone without Master, you know."

The Primordial Dragon exhaled, feeling tired from talking so long and so loudly. Afterward, she just waited for an answer, waiting patiently as Felicya let out a small sigh and then nodded.

"...Okay."

"..."

The Primordial Dragon didn’t even understand. Was Felicya just saying that so she’d be quiet? Or was she serious? Or what?

Anyway, that sounded very annoying.

"If only I had more time, I would definitely lecture you more, you lazy thing!"

"....."

As she looked away in irritation, her body slowly began to dissolve into greenish light, about to return into Julian’s soul.

But, before her whole form disappeared, she turned again.

The Primordial Dragon looked at Felicya in silence, then smiled slightly in a rather sweet way and added.

"You’ll regret it if you don’t recover your memories. A small, simple favor, try to think again about who exactly is carrying you and try to find out more about him."

In a somewhat gentle voice, different from before, her body dissolved into that green light like fireflies, and the Primordial Dragon returned to Julian’s soul.

Leaving Felicya, who closed her eyes but wasn’t asleep at all.

’More about him?’

The thought crossed her mind, but quickly vanished as Felicya began to drift back into sleep.

Time itself slowly returned, and the world regained its color as well.

Then, in the next instant, because none of them had realized what had just happened, they were now shocked to see Garph bowing his head so deeply before Julian.

"...What now?"