Chapter 116: A Dragon’s Consort?
“Pfft—”
Nolan himself had barely reacted, but Little Donnie nearly choked on his own saliva beside him.
“Cough, cough! C-consort?! Boss, don’t tell me that dragon girl who acted like she was above the heavens was actually your wife?!” His eyes were wide with utter disbelief.
Vivi and Renee were even more stunned. They looked at Ailindel, then at Nolan, their thoughts already hopelessly tangled.
“Huh?” Nolan pointed at himself in confusion. “Me? No, no, no. I’m not any dragon’s consort. I just happened to cross paths with a young dragon girl once, that’s all.”
“Really?” Ailindel tilted her head slightly, studying him as if to judge whether he was lying. “But according to dragon customs, they only share their Source power with their closest blood relatives or their lifelong mates. Has that tradition changed? The dragon-scale traits on your body prove that you are a Dragon-Chosen. And the strength of your bloodline clearly originates from a high-ranking member of the Dragon Legion from my era.”
Nolan immediately recalled the sensation of his lips touching the dragon girl Evelyn’s when she had saved him before, and his heartbeat involuntarily quickened. He hurriedly coughed twice to suppress the strange thoughts surfacing in his mind.
“Ahem. Well, she happened to run into a bit of trouble back then, and I helped her because I couldn’t just stand by and watch someone die. I don’t really know much about her circumstances. This was probably just her way of repaying the favor. You know how dragons are. They hate owing debts.”
“No matter what, for a human to earn the gratitude and favor of dragons, especially those arrogant creatures who think themselves above the world, is already an extraordinary thing.” Ailindel seemed to recall memories of the Dragon Legion and ultimately accepted the explanation without probing further.
She looked at Nolan, then at Vivi and the others behind him.
“Tell me. How much time has passed in the outside world?”
“It’s been nearly ten thousand years since the War of Heaven. As for dragons… they rarely appear on the continent anymore. Most of them have withdrawn from the world entirely,” Nolan answered.
“The War of Heaven?” Confusion surfaced in Ailindel’s expression once again.
Nolan slapped his forehead. He had just remembered that “War of Heaven” was a title later historians gave to that conflict. Naturally, she would not recognize it.
“I mean… the era when you were sealed here,” he clarified.
“Ten thousand years…” she murmured softly. “Even dragons, who loved excitement and chaos more than anything, have hidden themselves away…?” Then she abruptly looked up again. “What about my people? What became of the Moon Elves?”
“…I’m sorry.” Nolan found it difficult to meet her gaze, but he still forced himself to tell the truth. “Ten thousand years is simply too long. You’re probably the last Moon Elf left in this world. My condolences.”
Her body swayed faintly. She stared blankly at Nolan, though he knew she was not truly looking at him. Confusion and loss flickered across her breathtaking face.
Ten thousand years…
The moment she heard that number, she had already sensed the answer. Yet hearing Nolan confirm it aloud still left her momentarily dazed.
Everyone she once knew. Every comrade who had fought beside her. Everything she had cherished and protected… Had all turned to dust within history.
Only now did she truly realize that while she had slumbered, the world itself had completely changed beyond recognition. And the instant that realization settled into her heart, an overwhelming loneliness crashed over her hard enough to drown her whole.
If that was the case, then what meaning had all her sacrifices held? If that was the case, perhaps remaining lost in confusion forever would have been better. At least then she would not have to feel this pain.
She had known the price of immortality from the moment she entered this prison. Yet when the cost finally came due, it still felt unbearably heavy.
The light in Ailindel’s eyes dimmed slightly.
Unconsciously, she looked toward Nolan again.
This man…
He carried the aura of the Dragon Legion upon him. Though he claimed he had merely crossed paths with a dragon by chance, the pure Source of the Dragon and the unmistakable traits of a Dragon-Chosen could not be faked. His relationship with that dragon girl was certainly far from ordinary. Or rather, at the very least, the dragon girl herself clearly thought so.
He was a human acknowledged by dragons as a mate.
Ailindel remembered clearly that the pride of dragons surpassed even that of the noble Moon Elves. To gain the recognition or favor of dragons was itself proof of exceptional worth. As far as she knew, no human had ever before received such an “honor.”
A strange sense of relief rose within her. She was glad it had been him who came here. And she was even more relieved that no one had died during the conflict. Otherwise…
Whenever social creatures are thrown into a completely unfamiliar world, they instinctively search for anything that still connects them to what they once knew.
Ailindel gazed at the translucent dragon scales glimmering faintly beneath the altar’s radiance.
She remembered the dragons who had once fought beside her. According to Nolan, only their descendants remained now, and even they had withdrawn from the world.
Which meant that Nolan might very well be her only remaining connection to this unfamiliar age.
The last one.
But she had once been the Heavenly Judgment Knight, a Moon Elf champion whose will was as strong as steel. The weakness and turbulent emotions inside her were only the result of suddenly awakening after endless ages. They lasted merely a moment before she forcibly suppressed them.
Gradually, her spirit steadied once more, and clarity returned to her amber eyes.
Looking directly at Nolan, she asked solemnly, “Since you managed to open the seal and reach this place, does that mean the prison has weakened to the point where it must be reinforced ahead of schedule?”
As Nolan met the renewed brilliance in her eyes and felt the sense of responsibility she had carried for ten thousand years, genuine respect rose within him.
“Not exactly.” He answered honestly, “The outer seal has indeed loosened somewhat, but flaws only appear under extremely specific conditions. It hasn’t reached the point of immediate danger yet. Besides, this place is still protected by the many trials left behind by the Tyrians, the loyal golems, and you yourself. We came here for another reason.”
Ailindel listened quietly. Her beautiful eyes studied Nolan closely, as though trying to see through him. “You’re very honest.” She nodded slightly, her tone carrying the decisiveness of a seasoned soldier. “Then what exactly is your purpose here?”
“It’s simply a… selfish wish of my own.”
Nolan’s choice of words startled all his companions.
Vivi and Renee instinctively exchanged glances, both seeing the same confusion in each other’s eyes.
Selfish? How could their lord possibly describe himself that way?
Nolan’s original plan had been to rely on his knowledge of the dungeon, pass Ailindel’s trial, and defeat the Demon Overlord.
According to the proper sequence, that would have been the safest method. Afterwards, the dutiful war-spirit knight would leave this place and journey toward the elves’ Holy Osu Empire in search of traces of the lost past.
But after speaking with his companions just now, Nolan’s thoughts had changed. Too many things had already deviated from the original course.
And now, he wanted more. A riskier plan. But one with far greater rewards.
Ignoring the astonishment of the others, Nolan met Ailindel’s gaze sincerely. “I am a lord, and my kingdom, my territory, stands surrounded by threats from within and without. Whether we want it or not, the shadow of war already hangs over every single person.” He paused, his eyes becoming unwaveringly resolute. “My goal is simple. I need every resource I can possibly use to protect every inch of land and every person I am capable of protecting. Just as all of you once did.”
Those final words made Ailindel’s body tremble faintly.
She understood.
Turning slightly, she looked back at the sacred altar behind her, at the legendary winged race heavy armor known as Immovable Bulwark, and at the flowing waters of the Fountain of Potential.
But after a moment, she gently shook her head.