Chapter 75: The five members of Dragon’s heart

After that the four of them continued their adventure, venturing into the snake tribes hidden lands and eventually arriving at the village of the White snake.

Youre cursed! That White skin, youre not the White snake!

[T/n:- this one threw me for a loop, the best I can figure is theres an important White snake or something and this ones not it.]

As soon as the four of them entered the village they saw one of the snake tribe surrounded by others. He was large with white skin with golden eyes, those surrounding him had grey skin and were pointing their swords at him.

What, who are you!

Their focus immediately changed to Kagetra and the others.

Wait!

Kagetra motioned for them to put their swords down.

Were dragons heart, were just passing through on our journey.

The snake people sheathed their swords. While a dragon is said to be able to read a person by their heartbeat and body temperature the snake tribe is only able to read the body temperature.

Human or demon?

Neither, were superhuman.

A bead of sweat ran down the snake persons face.

I see. What are superhumans doing here?

We were looking to rest here for a while.

The snake people stared at them again.

Theres no inn but, we have an open room.

That would be a big help.

Kagetra lowered his head.

The other snakes returned to the village leaving the white one behind. The four adventurers looked at him curiously.

Im not a freakshow.

The white snake man stood up as he said so.

Why did they say you were cursed?

That has nothing to do with outsiders.

Could we give you some advice?

Dont need it, you heard them. You dont need to keep trying to snoop.

The white snake wiped blood from his mouth and disappeared into the forest near the village.

He had white skin, how rare.

Zephyr was curious.

The white snake is supposed to be a symbol of prosperity and is supposed to be a noble existence. But its obvious that he.

Hes being bullied.

Kagetra said.

Guys Im going somewhere!

Zephyr was about to step into the forest on his own.

Go ahead to the room, I have some business to take care of.

Oi, this way.

A snake person returned to guide them to the room but by that time Zephyr had already disappeared. Khalifa ended up being the one that had to answer.

Im going after him.

Leave him, he went after the white snake.

Khalifa stopped Adolf from leaving and they both followed after Kagetra to the room.

*

The white snake was in the forest a little away from the village.

You followed me? I thought I told you not too?

The snake person said when he noticed Zephyr behind him.

Come on, dont say that. Were on a journey, were adventurers, you must have heard of Dragons heart right?

No, and I have no interest. Please disappear.

Are you talking about me, yourself or something else?

This is how I talk, are you ridiculing me too?

No, its fine.

..I see.

Im Zephyr, what do they call you?

.Shawn.

Huh?

Im not going to tell you multiple times. My name is Shawn the snake king.

Shawn? Snake king? I dont know but, you have a strange name.

I think you have a strange name too.

Really?

What are you two doing?

Kagetra showed up.

Youre from before.

This is my little brother, Kagetra.

Zephyr introduced them.

Kagetra? You have a really strange name, do all outsiders have such strange names?

Kagetra laughed.

I dont know that its strange. What about you? Dont snakes normally have grey skin?

I was born this way.

Is that why those people before were pointing swords at you?

Outsiders are so blunt. When I was little I was worshipped by everyone as the white snake. But now, this is how it is.

There was pain and sadness in Shawns eyes.

Did something happen?

Zephyr asked.

No, people just want to keep people that arent like them away. Thats all.

Arent like them?

I dont know, but my existence is foreign to them. They dont understand and all they feel now is disgust.

Are you ok with that?

What?

He looked suspicious at Kagetras question.

You didnt want to change it?

Its my destiny, I have no choice but to accept it.

Dont you want to leave the village?

Where would I go if u left? Would I prefer the outside world to the village? You came from out there, you know.

The two of them understood what Shawn was saying, if he left the village it would be more than just the color of his skin that he would suffer for, hed suffer because hes a beast person as well.

Is that the reason you arent leaving the village?

I dont need a reason, I just live in the now. But an adventurer huh?

Shawn stared off into the distance, the other two understood this look as they had looked the same way before leaving Beyoment. All of them understood that them meeting was a coincidence, Adolf had wanted to stop at the village, Zephyr had followed Shawn. But from that coincidence their friendship was born.

*

Zephyr, Kagetra, and Shawn, day after day the three of them practiced mock combat in the forest.

Shawn, what was that move just now?

That was my skill, God Speed

God speed?

It lets you be embodied by the speed of a God. Maybe its unique to the white snake?

I couldnt see you at all.

Kagetra laughed in surprise.

Thats a convenient skill.

Zephyr was impressed and a bit envious.

But its not something to stay quiet about, if you had such an amazing skill you should have said something.

I cant answer questions you dont ask.

Are you hiding anything else? Like some kind of amazing magic maybe?

Thats all Ive got. Well, I guess I also have this.

Shawn showed them a very unique sword.

This is my mothers keepsake, the snakesword killgills.

Was your mom a swordswoman?

Zephyr asked.

It seems that way.

Seems?

I dont know what my mother looks like.

Sorry..

Theres nothing to apologize for, I dont even know what she looks like so I cannot feel sad. The snake sword school sha, it seems like before I was born she was a particularly strong shatin.

Shatin?

A warrior who has mastered the snake style.

Shawn didnt appear sad but Zephyr didnt push any further. During these moments it was Kagetra who softened the silence, eventually the two of them began to sandwich Kagetra between them as they talked.

*

It was Adolf who wanted to see the snake people, as the four of them had already been to most of the major countries on the continent.

Theres a small race of beast people called snakes.

However since coming to the village Adolf was lonely.

Adolf?

Khalifa, what is it?

Only Khalifa was aware of this as she watched him stare out a window up into the night sky.

Youre not going to the forest with the other two?

Im OK, theyll be back.

Its beautiful isnt it?

The two of them stared up into the night sky.

Yeah.

After we leave here where should we go next?

I dont mind where we go as long as were all together.

However Adolf had been acting strange since they came here. Although he didnt say anything so Khalifa just waited.

*

Before Zephyr and the others could leave the village a problem arose. Shawn was banished, hed been isolated for a long time but the villagers knew that hed been interacting with Zephyr and Kagetra in secret.

You are officially banished.

All the villagers were gathered in the square.

It hasnt rained for months. The wells run dry and all the crops are dead, do you know what than means?

The curse of the White snake, it was almost a religious belief in the village.

Thats nonsense, theres no such thing as a curse.

But Shawns voice was low and the others couldnt hear it.

You were born cursed.

Cursed?

When you were born we worshipped you as the white snake but I also hid something from you because your mother asked me too.

What are you talking about? What did you hide?

Your parents werent killed in battle, you ate them the moment you were born.

Shawn couldnt believe it.

Ate? What does that mean, is it some kind of metaphor?

It means what it means, when you were born there was two dried up corpses, and you. You exhausted their lives.

Shawn quickly understood that he wasnt being lied too, those werent the eyes of a lier, and he could tell by the body temperature.

As chief I forbade talking about it, but its come to the point where youre the only one who didnt know. And now it hasnt rained, do you know what that means?

That snake sword at Shawns waist shook slightly.

Youre telling me to leave? Arent I a snake person just like all of you?

Just like us?

Someone said.

How are we the same when you look like that!

Another person.

Im not living with you!

Another villager, Shawn stopped talking.

He wasnt listening anymore, for a while he was content just to live in the village where his mother and father lived. But hed come to realize that he cant even do that.

Shawn drew his sword.

Thats the concensus of the village, at this rate we will perish, like your mother.

The chiefs head flew off. None of the snakes saw Shawns sword move and it took them a few seconds to notice. Dragons heart watched on silently not getting involved.

You finally showed your true nature! You monster!

The snake people all attacked Shawn together, if one could call it attacking. None of them could touch Shawn who just kept silently swinging his sword. Each of their lives ended before they knew it.

The villagers had all been wrong about Shawn, he wasnt weak, he was kind. The ridicule was allowed out of his generosity as his sword surpassed that of a shatin. The village had turned into a sea of blood and Shawn stared up at the sky. He opened his mouth as ironically for the first time in months, it began to rain.

Arent you going to ask me to join you?

Shawn looked unstable as if wondering why he was still alive.

Of course, from today onward, youre part of Dragons heart.

Kagetra agreed, there was no hesitation from Zephyr and Khalifa either.

Shawn continued to stare up into the rain for awhile letting it wash away the blood and the hate.

*

The party was in Anoras, a small sea side country, a flock of siren had appeared in the harbor. Siren have the appearance of beautiful women, and seduce men with their voice and their good looks. But from the waist down they have the body of a sea serpent, and are different from normal monsters as they are able to speak and understand words. Moreover its very difficult to defeat even one of them.

The country made a direct request to Dragons heart. It was extremely rare for a country to make a direct request to a single party, normally they would go through the adventurers guild. However, that just showed how famous and trusted dragons heart was.

The moment the five of them arrived in Anoras they began to repel and kill the siren. Upon completion they were invited to a party hosted by the country.

Still, the siren were wonderful.

Shawn said this as if feeling strong emotions.

Wonderful? What do you mean?

Khalifa looked disgusted.

It was the first time I got to see such a wonderful female body, I almost wanted to keep one around to look at.

The table froze.

No way, I couldnt even look at the bodies, I was so disgusted by that fishy smell.

Zephyr looked around for people to agree with him.

The upper body and the face might have been nice but the tail, ugh and those fangs.

Kagetra doesnt seem to understand Shawns tastes either.

No, I will definitely decorate my house with siren someday.

Where exactly to you intend to decorate?

Ill bring you with me the next time I go hunt sirens.

No way, I dont want to see those things anymore.

Zephyr refused.

Although I would like to learn more about how theyre different from other monsters.

Kagetra skillfully changed the subject.

I see then it can double as an investigation.

Kagetras expression faltered as Zephyr and Khalifa began laughing, all while Shawn insisted that he was being serious.

Hmm, Adolf? Where are you going?

Khalifa asked Adolf as he left his seat.

I drank too much, I need some air.

Adolf left.

Hey, Adolfs..

By the way Khalifa, when did you become able to use that magic?

Huh?

Nobody noticed that Adolf had left anymore.

That magic you used to stop the sirens movement.

Oh Connection break? It was in the grimoire I got for defeating the black dragon.

Grimoire?

Yeah it seemed fake at first but it turned out to be the real deal.

What do you mean?

Kagetra asked.

Adams grimoire.

The three of them were surprised.

Adams? That Adams?

Yeah, Adams Rad Polifia, such powerful magic could have only been created by him.

Can I see it?

Sure.

Khalifa took out the grimoire and began turning the pages.

Its here.

She pointed at a page.

Thats Connection break?

Yeah.

Hmmmm.

Zephyr turned the pages.

Hm? Whats this?

There was a picture of a black goblin sculpture on the tip of a want talking to an old man.

Is this a wand?

No way, wands dont talk.

Right.

Zephyr turned the pages again.

Then whats this?

Let me see?

Zephyr handed the book back to Khalifa.

What you havent read it all yet?

I cant understand it all.

So, what does it say?

Khalifa worked hard to decipher the text.

So thats what it is!

Did you figure it out?

Khalifa started laughing.

Thats what it is.

That is what? What that are we talking about?

The abyss!

Khalifa said.

Abyss?

Zephyrs eyebrows wrinkled, it was the first time hed heard such a word.

The abyss isnt just given to those who seek it.

Khalifa began to read aloud.

*

The five of them left the country after completing their request and continued to journey around the continent completing requests. But somewhere a a warning bell rang, signaling the end of their adventure and the start of a war.

The Empire which had recently requested that they kill the black dragon declared ownership of the continent. They declared war on any who disagreed and like that the second great war began, and Dragons Heart was involved.

The faction against the empire organized a free army, recruiting people and adventurers from all over the continent. Soon it was the empires adventurers vs the free adventurers, dragons heart participated in the free army in hopes of restoring peace. But soon the soldiers ran dry and they were forced to conscript villagers, the continent was dying.

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